Shared Destiny. Shared Responsibility.

Statue of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II toppled amid scandal about deaths of Indigenous children

Story at a glance

  • A group of protesters gathered at the Manitoba legislature and pulled down the statue of Queen Victoria on Canada Day.
  • A smaller statue of Queen Elizabeth II was also torn down on the premises.
  • The demonstration comes as close to 1,000 unmarked graves of children have been found at the sites of former residential schools.

Demonstrators toppled statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II in Winnipeg Thursday as outrage grows in Canada over the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children.

Reuters reports a group of protesters gathered at the Manitoba legislature and pulled down the statue of Queen Victoria on Canada Day, an annual holiday that celebrates the Canadian Confederation. 


READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA

CULTURAL PRESSURES RUNNING HIGH AS MARTIN SCORSESE STARTS FILMING ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’

HAALAND ANNOUNCES NEW INDIGENOUS MISSING & MURDERED UNIT

NEW APP WILL SHOW YOU WHAT INDIGENOUS LAND YOU’RE ON RIGHT NOW

INDIGENOUS SHAMAN HAS A WARNING ABOUT THE AMAZON AND ALL LIFE ON EARTH


Protesters cheered as the statue of Queen Victoria, who ruled the U.K. from 1837 to 1901, tumbled to the ground and many kicked and danced around it. The statue and pedestal were covered in red paint handprints. 


“No pride in genocide,” the group reportedly chanted. 

A smaller statue of Queen Elizabeth II was also torn down on the premises. 

The demonstration comes as close to 1,000 unmarked graves of children have been found at the sites of former residential schools. The royal figures are viewed as a symbol of Canada’s colonial history. 

First Nations children starting in the 19th century through the 1970s were forced to attend schools to assimilate into Canadian society. 


America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.


Thousands of children across the country, most of whom were Indigenous, were separated from their families and forced to attend the residential schools that were operated by the Catholic Church. 

The children were subjected to physical and sexual abuse. In 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called it a “cultural genocide.” 

On Wednesday, more than 180 human remains were discovered during a search at a residential school site in British Columbia. More than 700 unmarked graves were found last week near Saskatchewan. 


READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA

APACHES FIGHT DESPERATE LAST STAND AGAINST FOREIGN MINING GIANTS OVER SACRED LAND

THE CREEK FREEDMEN PUSH FOR INDIGENOUS TRIBAL RIGHTS DECADES AFTER BEING DISENFRANCHISED

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES RESERVATION STATUS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE

AFTER 250 YEARS, NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE REGAINS ANCESTRAL LANDS IN CALIFORNIA

NATIVE AMERICANS RECEIVE DONATIONS TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS IN A HISTORIC ACT OF KINDNESS


 

Published on Jul 02,2021