The University of Alberta is considering removing a mural depicting Alberta’s pioneer history in response to allegations it reflects a history of racism and settler colonialism.
This comes after a concerted push by anti-colonial activists who say that the mural is a racist depiction of Indigenous peoples that glorifies colonialism.
The ‘Alberta History’ mural was gifted to the University of Alberta in 1951 by renowned artist Henry George Glyde, who helped establish the university’s fine arts program in 1946. The mural portrays Fr. Albert Lacombe, an Anglican missionary of Indigenous ancestry, and Rev. George MacDougall, a methodist clergyman and missionary, preaching to a group of Indigenous peoples while Fort Edmonton looms in the background.
Activists have taken issue with the depiction of Indigenous people wearing loincloths.
In 2021, the university administration conducted a consultation process to determine what should be done with the mural. Options range from leaving it as is to removing it altogether.
Odile Cisneros, a University of Alberta modern languages professor, told True North that the people who are calling for the mural’s removal do not understand history, calling for the artwork to be preserved.
Cisneros says that Glyde’s art comes from a tradition developed in the 1920s of Mexican muralism depicting Indigenous peoples in a way that honours them and lets them reclaim their heritage.
“He is taking a cue from those artists who thought they were doing something revolutionary by actually representing Indigenous people in a public space where they had not been represented before,” said Cisneros.
She said Canada’s difficult history with Indigenous people should be acknowledged and not whitewashed, but she advocates for a balanced view of the past that doesn’t demonize figures like Lacombe who were beloved by Indigenous people in his time.
“There is more here than meets the eye, there is more here than racism in the mural,” she said. “Even if we were to admit that were the case, it’s a complex depiction. Every work of art has a degree of complexity that needs to be unpacked, and this is what we need to do, rather than label it a racist and destroy it.”
Cisneros fears the university administration wants the mural removed or destroyed based on the mood on campus and how the administration structured the consultation process.
She likened this to China’s cultural revolution, the Taliban’s destruction of Buddhist statues, and Nelson Rockerfeller’s destruction of the Man at the Crossroads mural.
“I didn’t think this would ever happen in Canada. This is one of the most shocking things I have ever encountered in my career.”
Tanya Harnett, an Indigenous professor of fine arts at the University of Alberta wrote a statement condemning the attempted removal of the mural, calling for it to be preserved with the installation of interpretive panels to help onlookers better understand what is being depicted.
“Rather than destroying the mural, a didactic panel is needed; one that gives context to this complex subject matter,” read Harnett’s statement.
“The Glyde mural is a living document. The spirit of the individuals are manifested in the mural itself. As a First Nation person, I am truly upset to learn that this work could be destroyed. The important historical Indigenous events depicted in this mural should not be subject to erasure.”
The University of Alberta held its final consultation session on the Alberta History mural July 23.