Ban on Indigenous images, News (Point Edward Minor Athletic Association)

News Article
News Article Image
Sep 30, 2021 | PEMAA | 328 views
Ban on Indigenous images
Town of Point Edward bans the display of Indigenous images in sports facilities.

The use and display of Indigenous images and themes is now banned at Point Edward sports facilities.

Village council passed a new policy related to non-Indigenous sports organizations, teams and events at its meeting Tuesday.

Point Edward Minor Hockey Association President Liz Page said it was expected.

“We’ve been working closely with council, the City of Sarnia and our friends at Aamjiwnaang since 2019,” said Page. “COVID derailed our progress for a bit, but this is not a surprise to us. This is something that we’ve been aware of and working towards for quite some time.”

Page said a transitional approach will be taken this season.

“This year, our game jerseys are going to be devoid of the Indigenous logo. They’re going to have the name, ‘The Blackhawks’, on our jerseys and we’re quite proud of how they look. We hope everybody embraces the transition, but we do want to engage our membership and our community about whether, or not, they want a total name change, or whether they want to keep the name and go with a logo that doesn’t have an Indigenous undertone.”

Page understands some people won’t agree with the decision.

“We certainly leave space for that kind of reaction, however, we know that this is the right path to take. Truth and reconciliation is more than an Orange Shirt Day and we really want to be part of leading with respectful and inclusive interactions with our players, our families, and other centers we visit. So we want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”

Page said the Chicago Blackhawks Indigenous logo they had used was removed from centre ice at the Point Edward Arena a few years ago.

Ultimately, Page said the association hopes to develop something everyone in the community is proud of.

Source of the article: Blackburn News

Sponsors
Jackpot City - Sarnia
Jackpot Time, formally known as Jackpot City and Bingo Country, has been serving up gaming in the city of Sarnia for more than 30 years, and has raised over $15 million dollars for regional charities. Jackpot Time is in the business of continuing that proud tradition, while providing a full-service entertainment experience that's relevant to our community today. In partnership with OLG, we have dramatically overhauled the gaming floor, adding a fully licensed diner, a sports lounge, and a selection of electronic gaming machines.
SSCF - STING ASSISTS
The Sarnia Sting is proud to announce the launch of the Sting Assists Community Fund. Sting Assists was built on best practices in sport and community philanthropy, with a made-in-Sarnia-Lambton approach. Our ongoing goal is to help people in need in our community and make the Sarnia Lambton area a better place to live for all. The fund collects donations through community outreach events such as golf tournaments, 50/50 draws, jersey raffles and various online auctions.