“To
everything – turn, turn, turn.
There is a season – turn, turn, turn.
A time to every purpose under heaven.”
- Music
and Lyrics by Pete Seeger
“To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven...
A time to get and a time to lose,
a time to keep and a time to cast away.”
- Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, Verses 1-8
“We are doing all we can, by refusing food
until the Indians are on the verge of starvation, to reduce the expense.”
- Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime
Minister
“My sins...I do not deny, but I trust that it
may be said of me in the ultimate issue, ‘Much is forgiven because he loved
much.’ For I have loved my country with a passionate love.”
- Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime
Minister
I have been
an amateur historian all my life: reading history; studying history; teaching
history; reconsidering history. One of the things that has always fascinated me
about history is the way it morphs and transforms over the years, depending on
one’s point of view, moment in history, and political agenda. “Winners” and
“Losers” tell very different stories. To insist that there is only one
way to interpret history is dangerously naïve.
Which
brings me to the current debate about Sir John A. Macdonald’s place in Canada’s
history. For decades, there has been pretty much one version of Sir John A.’s
contribution to our history: respected Father of Confederation; skillful first
Prime Minister; builder of our country. Yes, he drank too much, and there was
that nasty Pacific Scandal, but he was an immensely powerful and enlightened
force for good in our country.
Except....not
everyone is buying that narrative any more. Many voices, especially those from Canada’s Indigenous communities, are now saying, ‘Hold on...this is
the man who was responsible for passing the infamous Indian Act of 1876 that
institutionalized racism in our country and paved the way for forced
assimilation, residential schools, broken treaties, and unfathomable suffering.’ They say that the traditional version
of Sir John A. reflects a white/colonial/settler bias that is fatally flawed.
Personally,
I am pleased by the emergence of alternate narratives. They turn history into a
living, breathing presence in our lives, rather than a musty museum piece. Bring
on the controversy, say I, especially in the name of justice and reconciliation.
Which
brings me, circuitously, to the Prince Edward County Photography Club, the Book
of Ecclesiastes, and Pete Seeger.
Let me
explain: the County Photography Club issues a monthly theme challenge to its
members. One of the highlights of each meeting is seeing the imaginative and
skillful ways that club members interpret these themes. Certainly they have sharpened
my photography skills over the last three years.
The theme
for the November meeting was “Turn, Turn, Turn”, a seasonal riff on autumn’s
wondrous colours. However, I decided to take the theme in a very different
direction. I looked up the Pete Seeger song of the same name, and then went
back into the King James Bible to read Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes: “To
everything there is a season...”, the Biblical inspiration of Pete Seeger’s
famous folksong.
And a light
went on – surely these words describe what’s happening with the debate about
Sir John A. Macdonald’s place in Canadian history.
“A time to
keep and a time to cast away,” indeed.
With that
inspiration in mind, I spent an October day in Kingston and Prince Edward
County photographing evidence of Sir John A’s considerable presence in our
area: signs, statues, museums, locomotives, etc. What great fun! I then sat
down with my trusty Photoshop software to create various collages and
‘reinterpretations’ of the photos. The five images below grew from that
process.
Upon seeing
these images, a friend said to me, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll offend someone?”
My response: “Well, I certainly hope so. Otherwise, I won’t have done my job!”
After all, when people get outraged and offended, they reveal what they truly
care about. With passion and good will on all sides, a productive – albeit
lively – conversation can begin. And that, my friends, is how society evolves.
Much better than a collective shrug of resignation.
Thank you
for reading my rant. I hope you appreciate my images, even if you don’t like
them.