Unbelievable. The sensitivity police have struck at University of Wisconsin-Stout, forcing the removal of two murals portraying the French/First Peoples connection in the Fur Trade. Seems that the images from the past might be harmful to students of native descent and others. Seriously.
The offending pictures:
The Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout has announced two of three historic paintings depicting interactions between white traders and First Nations people are to be removed from public view because of their potentially “harmful effect” on students and other viewers.
The paintings, which were commissioned under the Works Progress Administration and painted by artist Cal Peters in 1935, can be found in the University’s Harvey Hall, a building currently undergoing major renovations. In preparation for the Hall’s grand re-opening this fall, the paintings were to be restored by university art students under the direction of their professors. The restoration work, funded by the Wisconsin Historical Society, began back in 2013.
This summer, however, the paintings caught the eye of the University’s Diversity Leadership Team (DLT) who expressed concern that the depiction of First Nations people would reinforce racial stereotypes. The issue was brought to the attention of University Chancellor Bob Meyer who, after a series of discussions with the DLT, ruled in their favor. Because of the risk of “having a harmful effect on our students and other viewers,” the paintings will not appear in the new Harvey Hall and will be placed into storage, Chancellor Meyer announced. Given the sensitive subject matter of the paintings, he continued, if they are to be displayed, it must be in “a controlled gallery space” that provides “context” for a viewer. And “a controlled gallery space” just does not exist at the University, so the paintings will most likely just remain out of view.
It is absolutely shameful that a university chancellor would pander to this shit. Charles de Langlade, the badass 18th Century French/Ottawa Frontier Partisan, the “Father of Wisconsin” would NOT tolerate such pusillanimous behavior. And he had a way of making a point that actually WAS harmful and traumatizing.
An Ohio Valley Miami chieftain variously known as La Demoiselle or Old Britain had gotten too friendly with British traders, rivals to the French in the lucrative fur trade. Langlade, a young militia cadet, made Old Britain an offer he couldn’t refuse: Trade with me and my French brethren. Old Britain not only refused, he insulted the young métis and threw him out of Pickawillany village. Big mistake.
Langlade returned north and told an Ottawa friend of his named Pontiac about the insult. In June 1752, the pair led 250 Ottawa and Chippewa warriors back down to Picawillany where they destroyed the village. Old Britain was executed — and his killers boiled him in a pot and ate him. His followers decided to return their trade to the French.
I actually palavered with the ghost of Langlade last night to ask him what he thought about this episode of sensitivity-run-amok.
Langlade: Those are my people they are disrespecting by storing those paintings away. It is not wise to disrespect me. I have fought 99 battles and taken scalps of many Diversity Leadership Teams.
Frontier Partisans: Really?
Langlade: No. That’s a joke. I fought men. I don’t really know what a Diversity Leadership Team is. Militia? A war party? I mean, it sounds like sale con, you know what I’m saying?
Frontier Partisans: I have google; I’ll figure it out. What do you think should be done about this? I mean, this is 2016; you can’t just raze the university and boil the Chancellor in a cook pot.
Langlade: Huh. Wouldn’t eat his heart anyway. Weak and flabby.
Frontier Partisans: So…
Langlade: You’re seriously asking me? If I lived in your time, I’d be in prison. Too many ridiculous laws and rules protecting sale con. Maybe you should just send Bob a card.
Frontier Partisans: A card?
Langlade: Oui. A card. You know the one I mean.
Frontier Partisans: Oh, right. This one…
Langlade: That’s the one. Wish I’d had one to give Montcalm when he wouldn’t turn me loose to ambush Wolfe before he climbed up to the Plains of Abraham. If he had, that Diversity Leadership Team would be speaking French and Ottawa.
Frontier Partisans: Will do. Thank you Monsieur Langlade.
Langlade: Don’t wake me up for merde like this again. You live in boiteux times, mon ami.
deuce says
“Diversity Leadership Team”. Uh-huh. It’s been well-known that Wisconsin’s academia is fully converged for some time now. People wonder why college tuitions keep going up. Useless mouths like the above and all the other programs to “educate” our unwitting youth are a drain on the system.
These people will not stop. They won’t stop until the world is their vision of utopia, which is an objective impossibility. Thus, they will never stop.
JimC says
Oh, I retain faith that there will be a correction. Such idiocy can only survive in a rich, protected, decadent civilization. And you and I both know that that is a whim of circumstance…
😉
Keith West says
OK, so let me get this straight. If we show or portray native peoples in anything other than their traditional garb, it’s offensive because someone might think we’re disrespecting their culture. If we show or portray them in their traditional garb, it’s offensive because we’re perpetuating someone’s idea of a racial stereotype.
Frankly, I find the whole thing very triggering. As in I want to take a tool that has a trigger and use it to eliminate the stupid that’s running amuck.
I’ve worked in academia my entire adult life, and I can tell you higher learning isn’t a safe space. You’re supposed to feel uncomfortable there. It’s where you go to have your ideas and viewpoints challenged. If they can’t stand up to a challenge, maybe they aren’t worth having. Or maybe they were never yours in the first place.
One of the best moments I’ve had as an educator was 16 years ago when I had a small class do debates on how science affected society by looking at three things that were in the news at the time. I had a team say they wanted to argue one particular side of their topic because they didn’t agree with it but wanted to know more about why some people took that position. They came to me a few weeks later, I think the day before the debate, and said they weren’t sure they disagreed with that position any more because they had encountered some arguments they hadn’t considered. I’m not sure I could create a situation today where that type of learning could take place.
JimC says
Keith wins the internet today.
Tomorrow’s post is on some real academics doing real work. Here’s to all of you who are still trying to make actual learning happen.
Fletcher Vredenburgh says
What in the Wide Wide World of Sports are we coming to? If the Indians were wearing frock coats would that be better? I mean this isn’t a case of different interpretation of history, but a fear that an accurate one is bad. Folks like Meyer and the existence of something called a Diversity Leadership Team reinforce my belief this nation’s just where it deserves to be and our president is going to be exactly the one we’ve earned.
JimC says
To my sorrow, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Wayne says
The WPA mural in my local post office depicts town namesake Daniel Boone and a couple partners leading horses laden with deer hides through a mountain pass. I suppose we should paint over it because Boone was a hide hunter which was a non-sustainable practice and disapproved of by Native peoples. Once again, we’re floundering in a quagmire created by mixing the in-context past with the out-of-context present.
JimC says
And just try telling the grievance-theater sensitivity police that the native peoples were ass-deep in the hide trade themselves. They really don’t like the messy humanity of history. They prefer good-guy/bad-guy morality plays. In their case, the only way to be a good guy is to be a “victim.”
VS says
This is a disappointing decision. UW-Stout is missing out on an educational opportunity by hiding these paintings. Missing context? Provide some, then! European and Native American history is complicated and messy to be sure, and hiding it is a disservice to everyone.
JimC says
Right? Makes you wonder if they’re actually interested at all in context… Hmmm…
VS says
A museum plaque or two would be a great student project and would be an easy and cheap way to provide context. Talk about the WPA, talk about the content of the paintings…
JimC says
What?! Like, educate people?
lane batot says
Well, all I can say(ahem!), is I’m GLAD they removed this RIDICULOUS coupla portrayals! And it has NOTHING to do with the nekkid injuns! I mean, being part Francais myself, I was rather perturbed at the image of those unwashed traders, not to mention the stupidity of showing that one standing up in a rickety canoe(with a GUN, no less!) in a fast moving stream, as if we are all just a bunch of dumb Frogs! And then the illustration of that ramshackle fort, showing less construction skill than a bunch of delinquents playing in the woods–Sacre’ Bleu!
JimC says
I feel your trauma, Lane. Sorry it triggered you. I will reflect on the impact of my actions and engage in Maoist self-criticism on your behalf.
deuce says
Click in at 11:11. Dave Cullen does a great takedown of this lunacy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlBAeaViTQc
Cynthia Bellinger Farlow says
As a Granddaughter of the French Prairie, Oregon I should be able to say both my Indian and French Canadian Grandfathers in the pictures is not offensive.