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It is not enough to be a man of vision and the leader of your people. It's important to look the part. Image is everything in this world when attempting to inspire a nation and garner the respect of others.
Is it then any wonder the Manitoba Metis Federation was so frustrated with the attempts of a few individuals who tried to block the removal of a naked, twisted, and may we say, grotesque statue of Louis Riel from the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature Building?
If the clothes were the man, this denigration of the Metis leader contributes to the undoing of his legacy. Imagine Metis children on a field trip to the grounds wandering by this tortured, sad representation of their leader. How can they develop a strong and proud respect for their own heritage when they see this misrepresentation allowed to exist among the exalted depictions of non-Aboriginal leaders? How can they be expected to fight the injustices of racism when the man they know as the motivator of their people is allowed to be displayed in such a public way in this unfriendly light?
Never would we see a statue of Winston Churchill portrayed in his bathrobe and slippers and then placed in such prominent public view as if to sanction the depiction. Never would we see the foibles of Sir John A. MacDonald blatantly displayed without considering it a slap in the face of Canada.
One has to applaud the endeavors of the Manitoba Metis Federation to restore some dignity to the image of Riel.
Jeers on the media watch...
The first jeer goes to the editors of Western Living whose theme of the summer edition is summer events and activities in the western provinces.
In this special section, the editors saw fit to invite their readers to 'pop by a powwow'. Not a bad thing by any means, but an article entitled Whooping It Up falls short of painting a clear and accurate picture of what a powwow really is.
"In the inner circle of teepees, costumed dancers, accompanied by a relentless drumbeat, will dance from dawn to dusk," reads the article.
"Not the Indians I know," said columnist Drew Hayden Taylor when he saw the article. Imagine the frenzy of a fancy dancer waited down by his regalia (not costume) whirling non-stop in 30 degree heat.
"Keep an eye out for this year's craze, the lambada of the powwow circuit: women's jingle dancing," the article pronounced.
The lambada of the powwow circuit? Absolutely ridiculous. Unfamiliar with the lambada? It is an extremely sexually suggestive dance from Latin America and the jingle dance couldn't be farther from it if you tried.
In its attempt to capture the imaginations of its readers, Western Living has surely contributed to a mountain of misinformation about Aboriginal culture.
In this same regard, the Calgary Herald took to perpetuating a stereotype which deeply harms the image of Canada's Native people.
To be fair the article in the July 17 edition, headlined Native dance competition caps weeks of practice, reporter Morgan Waters went a long way in getting a story about powwow correct. It was a very positive accounting of the competition as part of the events surrounding the Calgary Stampede celebration. Positive, that is, until the last couple of paragraphs.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to give my kids a positive view of our Indian people in Alberta," the article quotes a gushing Edmonton woman. "Most people just think they're drunks, but the truth is they have a wonderful culture."
Well, thanks for your support.
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