A group of artists in Regina are launching a bid to rename a park in honour of buffalo, which once roamed the area.
The Buffalo People Arts Institute is targeting Dewdney Park, wanting to rename it Buffalo Meadows, claiming that Edgar Dewdney, who the park is named after was cruel to Indigenous People.
Sue Deranger, a member of the group says Dewdney would use starvation against them and was in favour of the residential school system.
“Dewdney was not a nice person to Indigenous People at all! It represents genocide [of buffalo]. He had a big part in residential schools,” Deranger said.
The group says in a release, “Dewdney used food as a weapon to force Indigenous peoples onto reserves. He starved Métis, Nakota, and Cree people as part of this campaign. He was instrumental in the enforcement of the Indian Act, and alongside Nicholas Flood Davin, recommended the establishment of residential schools.”
The endeavor to rename the park comes after the Regina Public School Board in June, voted to change the name of Davin School to Crescents School.
Deranger says she is trying to achieve justice for the historical wrongs, in hopes of furthering reconciliation.
Regina could soon be developing new guidelines on renaming streets and parks of controversial figures. Regina’s Planning Commission will discuss that report this afternoon.
Last month a man was charged with vandalizing the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald by painting parts of the statue red in Victoria Park.
(PHOTO: Dewdney Park. Courtesty of City of Regina Facebook.)