OrilliaMatters received the following letter to the editor from artist Jimi McKee regarding our article about the future of Orillia's Champlain Monument.
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I have been an artist in Orillia for over 50 years.
My partner and I have been promoting native arts from the west coast for over 30 years.
Many years ago, I purchased 218 totem poles that were 50 to 100 years old. At that time I found that other than a few large totems in museums, the following for all the daily Native accoutrements that were hand-carved was not appreciated.
We did a TV show with Dini Petty to explain that our first people needed to be understood and appreciated. It is only in the last few years that Native art and culture has finally been brought to the forefront of Canada's historical appreciation.
Art has always been art. You don’t hide atrocities because it reminds us of humanity's shortcomings. Example? Nazi art. It's not being burned; it's being sought after so future generations don’t make the same mistakes.
Humanity is flawed. We just love to hate. It's always been that way.
I am sure our planet is a fish bowl for other galaxies to observe, like going to a zoo.
The Champlain Monument is one of the best bronzes in Canada. It doesn’t depict Natives as subservient to Champlain. It shows extremely intelligent, healthy original people wanting to learn something new.
There is no anger or should be none when a great piece of art is displayed for the world to see. Add to it ... don’t take from it.
Jimi McKee
Orillia
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