By Jon Tattrie - The Weekly News
A prominent Mi'kmaq historian is calling for a controversial Halifax statue of Edward Cornwallis to be torn down and replaced with one honouring Donald Marshall Jr.
Spryfield resident Daniel Paul, author of We Were Not the Savages, says it would be a fitting tribute to Marshall, who died last week at age 55.
But an NDP spokesman dismissed the idea, saying the government is committed to "moving forward as a diverse society," while the mayor said, "We can't change our past."
Marshall, a Cape Breton Mi'kmaq man, was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1971 and served 11 years in prison before the conviction was overturned. The 1990 Marshall Inquiry found the justice system had failed Marshall at "virtually every turn" and that "systemic racism" led to his conviction.
"The statue for Edward Cornwallis is symbolic of the depth of systemic racism in Nova Scotia," said Paul.
Cornwallis, who was sent to Nova Scotia to found Halifax in 1749, issued "scalping proclamations" in which the government promised to pay citizens for killing any Mi'kmaq man, woman or child.
"Marshall would be a potent replacement because (he) changed the face of the justice system in Nova Scotia and Canada," said Paul. "We are not saying to delete (Cornwallis) from history - you can't delete Hitler or Stalin or Pol Pot - but at least remove symbols that are honouring the man."
After being arrested for illegal fishing in the 1990s, Marshall embarked on a second major legal battle. It ended in the Supreme Court of Canada's Marshall Decision in 1999, which upheld native fishing rights in a landmark ruling.
"Donald Marshall Jr. exemplified courage and the willingness to stand up and fight for justice," Paul said, adding all Nova Scotians should be proud of that.
He has been petitioning to remove the statue in Cornwallis Park in front of the Halifax train station for several years, via an online petition at Danielnpaul.com.
"If the Government of Nova Scotia or the government of Halifax decided to rename that park after someone more suitable, I don't think there would be much of an outcry against it."
Michael Noonan, director of communications for the Tourism, Culture and Heritage Dept., said it's not considering removing the statue.
"That is not something that is being considered by this government at this time. They're focusing on the commitments they made in terms of making life better for families in Nova Scotia and trying to move forward as a diverse society in the province," he said.
Mayor Peter Kelly agreed. "I don't know if that's the place for it," he said. "We can't change our past. It is what it is. The events that occurred then were the events of the day and certainly would never occur now. There are some concerns with the way things were done back then, but it's one that you can't change."
jon@jontattrie.ca
