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In a change of pace, and to raise awareness, I'd like to talk about an issue that's been ongoing for 10+ years from my old college town: There's an art gallery, mostly for Indigenous art, owned by a white family in Durango, Colorado. They have this sign outside of their store:
It was originally from an old, "Western-style" diner, "Chief Diner" in Durango that white people fawned over. The owners, the Clark Farmily, of Toh-Atin, the art gallery, bought the sign and displayed it outside of their store on their "private land" since the early 80s.
I absolutely hate this sign. I've hated it since I started college there back in 2012, because I knew, and experienced firsthand, the extreme anti-Indigenous racism in Durango. I worked in many diff stores/places, and each time I was subjected to harassment for being Indigenous.
Many Indigenous people have spoken up about this sign and how they would wish to take it down. If you would like more context, this well-crafted essay by Kirbie Bennet provides info and a great perspective from an Indigenous writer about the sign: https://lastrealindians.com/news/2020/7/12/between-mascots-and-massacres
Last year around summer 2020, I heard there was a petition going around to take down the "Chief" so I finished making a comic called, "Godzilla Decolonizes Durango", that went into detail about my feelings about the sign. It was, surprisingly, well received.
I had, before the comic went out, wrote a letter to the Clarks, the owners, about why I feel they should take down the sign. They had publicly stated they would listen to "everyone's thoughts", especially "native people". They would not respond to it until this year.
During last year, the sign was graffitied and splashed with red paint. There were many articles written, and a short film made about the sign as well. The Clarks continued to not take it down, and were ignoring many natives speaking out about it.
The year went by, and in March 2021, I was offered a political cartooning job at the Durango Telegraph, a biweekly magazine in the town. I made some cartoons, and the 3rd, I decided to make about the sign. Here is the cartoon as printed/posted originally:
Antonia Clark immediately responded to the Telegraph with vitriol, stating that I was an "uninformed, hateful" person for making the cartoon. When she found out I was Indigenous, and I had already tried to contact her "civilly", she changed her tone completely.
We talked over email & she once again told me, "We are not making immediate plans to take the sign down. I think Indigenous people have more things to worry about than a sign".
Editorial letters continue to be sent to the Telegraph stating that I'm awful for making the comic.
Editorial letters continue to be sent to the Telegraph stating that I'm awful for making the comic.
If you would like to help, you can sign the petition, which has links and a more detailed timeline of the events surrounding the sign. Hopefully we can take this racist signage down and into the trash where it belongs. https://www.change.org/p/toh-atin-gallery-take-down-the-chief-racist-caricature-sign-of-toh-atin-gallery-in-durango-colorado
Update: The local Durango paper, The Durango Herald, has published my opinion column on the sign! Can be read here at the link below. This a direct response to Antonia Clark, the owner of the sign, who also had her opinion printed last week. https://durangoherald.com/articles/373832-kayla-shaggy-take-down-the-tohatin-chief
Indigenous organizers in Durango have made this image to be distributed as a poster and sticker to help educate others and raise awareness about the racist caricature sign at the Toh Atin Gallery. They reached out to me have a quote of mine on the image, I was happy to oblige.
Words of support to take down the sign and for my work. Teared up reading this, honestly.
A recent article about the Toh-Atin sign by a local Indigenous author. "In 2021, it’s time for “the chief” to come down" by Trennie Collins. https://lastrealindians.com/news/2021/5/9/in-2021-its-time-for-the-chief-to-come-down-by-trennie-collins?fbclid=IwAR3gkPWDmWJPaAOgSIsiVw6ciXT1h5j04KYSrgQlj5yxtnZRcsYeDyroEKE
