ROTHENBURGER: Plans to gut museum exhibit amount to a new form of vandalism

According to Tourism Minister Melanie Mark, there’s a need to “decolonize” so-called “settler” exhibits, so they must go.

Truth and reconciliation “demands that we diversify and decolonize the way we share the history of B.C.,” states Mark.

Just how getting rid of exhibits reflecting the exploration and industrial development of our province by Europeans is supposed to help reconciliation is a head scratcher. Certainly, the exhibits in question speak to the colonization of British Columbia but it’s a part of our history and not something that can be erased by doing away with museum exhibits that represent it.

The exhibits are educational and inoffensive. There’s nothing about them that demeans indigenous culture or connection to the land. By all means, expand on the museum’s representations of indigenous history as well as that of the many ethnic groups who came to make B.C. their home. For example, the nearby First Nations Gallery could and should be revamped and expanded. It and Old Town can co-exist..

The vandalizing of statues at least has an understandable rationale, which is that we shouldn’t make heroes of those who led the displacement of indigenous people. The museum’s plan is a baffling over-reach, and amounts to a new form of vandalism.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: Plans to gut museum exhibit amount to a new form of vandalism

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