The following was sent to me by Henry Green via e-mail, and he asked that I post it online.
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Update Concerning Meeting With Carvers
Tonight was devastating culturally and personally. To have a representative who works on behalf of the museum, who promotes and supposedly provides, the public with a forum for diversity and cultural representation for the community of Prince Rupert act in the way I saw tonight was a total shock, ethically and morally. I am not used to see respected artists and elders treated in the way that I saw tonight, I was banned from a board meeting that it was my right as a member of th emuseum to attend.
The meeting took place at 7PM, April 2, 2009 at the Museum of Northern BC. I arrived with my spouse Henry Green and a Haida elder who was there as a witness, hoping that we could finally meet with the museum about the issues surrounding the carving shed and begin the process of reconciliation.
However, Wes Baker, the chair of the museum board was waiting outside when we arrived. He told me and the Haida elder that we were not allowed to attend this important and culturally sensitive meeting. When we enquired as to why we were banned, he stated that we are not following their protocol and were not on their agenda.
He was waving his hand in the air and making very personal comments to my spouse when I intervened and stated, “Don’t point your finger at him and talk disrespectfully to him in that way. You are supposed to be a professional, so conduct yourself accordingly.” He was clearly escalating the situation and seemed to be totally lacking in personal communication skills,
Accordingly, I told Wes Baker that we will be contacting our lawyers and that the disrespect not only to me but to a Haida elder whom we had requested to be with us to witness this meeting is not only rude, but clearly a violation of our rights as citizens of this community, and my rights as a member of the museum.
Last week, a meeting was supposed to take place on Thursday, March,26, 2009. I called Wes Baker on the night before, and he stated that someone was sick, so the meeting was postponed until week. I asked Wes when he was going to notify us of the cancellation, and suggested that he needed to be more professional and accountable. He replied that the board hadn’t had any communication from Henry, to which I replied that I was the one who typed and printed his letter for a request to meet with the board, and that I know that he had it sent by registered mail. We had been especially careful to follow the board’s protocol, because we wanted elders and myself to be present as witnesses.
On a personal note:
In order for a community to grow and prosper, it needs the gifts of everyone who is a part of it. Each individual has a gift, and, when a community does not prosper and progress, it is because these gifts are not respected. I know and see what gifts my spouse Henry Green and my daughters have, and they are not to be denied their proper place.
For instance, my daughter Sylvia Hill is the youngest apprentice to Henry Green, and she is learning everything from bending bracelets to transferring designs. She has told Henry that her dream is to be carving a totem pole when she is twenty. I believe in the talents of my family, and I want to ensure that, when my daughter is twenty there will be a place for her to realize her dreams. I know for a fact that with a teacher such as Henry Green and a role model like Henry’s daughter and apprentice Morgan Green to inspire her that she will realize her dream – maybe even before she is twenty.
It is in support of such dreams that we are rallying for support from all individuals and we are now requesting a public meeting into these long unresolved issues. The public needs to be made aware of all that is happening. The museum is supposed to promote culture, not suppress it, but for all their talk about the Tsimshian, the Haisla, and the Haida on their website, what are they really doing to promote these cultures? Does the museum really promote our cultures or does it continue to dictate to them and condescend to them?
All concerned citizens, please express your concerns to the museum. What we have seen is not only disrespect to the Haida Nation and the elder who represented it, but also disrespect to a great man who is history in the making. But instead of acknowledging what great talent he has, it will not even treat him with common courtesy.
Moreover, the museum’s representatives continue to make the issues personal by attacking me. Yet who is better able to promote Henry Green than me? I know who he is and what he is about, I know his passions in his art, and his formlines. He is a man that deserves great respect, and it is disheartening when a place that is supposed to promote culture does such things to you.
This would have never have happened on Haida Gwaii. Any signs of disrespect on Haida Gwaii would not be tolerated. Why the ban? I am human and I stand proud. I know great talent when I see it (and talent does run in my family), and to see it not given its due is not only devastating but very disheartening.
Prince Rupert has a carving shed, and carving sheds are for carvers. Why do they not see that and work with us? Am I threat to them? I firmly believe that we are all in the same canoe, so we need to work together and start a process of finding a solution that will work for everyone.
But the museum has failed time and time again to recognize our need to work together or do anything to resolve the situation. If they really want an end to these matters, then they should set a good example and act in a more conciliatory way. But, for now, we can only wait for the museum’s board members to come to their senses.
