Daily Sitka Sentinel

July 14, 2020, Letters to the Editor

Statue Resolution

Dear Editor:

K’ayéitl’i yóo xat duwasáakw. 

Ch’áak’ naax xát sitee. 

Teikweidée áyá xát

Shaanax hít áwé haa naakahídi. 

Sheet’káx’ yéi xat nawaat. 

Kiks.ádi yadix xát sitee

My name is Crystal Duncan; my Tlingit name is K’ayéitl’i. I am eagle brown bear from the Valley house in Angoon. I was born and raised in Sitka. I am a child of the raven frog clan, meaning my father’s roots are Kiks.ádi from Sheet’ká. 

Tonight our city Assembly will consider a resolution to relocate the Baranof statue from its current place of prominence. For many reasons, I am in favor and will advocate for its relocation; while that reasoning is grounded in history, it’s not specific to 1802, 1804, or even 1989 when the statue was gifted to the city and borough. 

1887: “The great aim of our legislation has been to do away with the tribal system and assimilate the Indian people in all respects with the other inhabitants of the Dominion as speedily as they are fit to change.” John A. McDonald

1892: “Kill the Indian, and save the man” Richard H. Pratt

1940(s): “No dogs or natives allowed” 

2013: “We’re better than that as a town. We shouldn’t be tearing (things) apart. We should be taking care of them.” Municipal Administrator (in reference to the statue)

2020: “When is this going to end? If you don’t like our town, there are other places that might make you happier.” Assembly member (in reference to a suggestion to move the statue)

These are examples of the messaging which affirms our place in society. Since the time of contact, a system was built by some (in truth white men), which utilized a toolkit of genocide, assimilation, and now status quo dominance over Alaska’s first people. The declaration “we are all equal” is inaccurate and we know this because of the extreme disparities in health, education, socioeconomic status, access and power.

I am writing because it is my responsibility to address how a statue, and the larger system, detract from progress. If there is work to be done, I’m here volunteering to help see it through. Will you join me? It will take a community effort and won’t be resolved simply when the statue is moved, but in time, as we begin to address both small and large issues, including our verbal and nonverbal messaging, we will reframe the level of respect we bestow upon each member of our community.

This is not an isolated effort by a few, there is support from STA, another governing body, local community and anti-racist organizations, along with a growing number of diverse individuals vested in helping our community to do better, because we now know better. 

I hope this evening our Assembly will take advantage of its opportunity to send a message to the community. Elizabeth Peratrovich said it well when she remarked, “You as legislators can assert to the world that you recognize the evil of the present situation and speak to your intent to help us overcome discrimination.”

Baranof has a home, that home is in a museum. In closing, it is time to “Retire the statue, so we can save and heal the community.” A gift to Sitka, if you will. 

Gunalchéesh,

Crystal Duncan, Sitka

Baranof Statue

Dear Editor: We are erasing a history. There has been lots of recent talk about removing the Baranof statue located outside Centennial Hall. To some, this statue represents the brutal legacy of a mass murderer who terrorized their ancestors. We can stop there. Does it really matter what the other side of the argument is after that sentence? 

A physical representation of a man who perpetrated horrific acts of violence against the ancestors of your neighbors, coworkers, teachers, and friends.

 As a social worker, I have learned and witnessed the astounding impact historical trauma has on the wellbeing and health of families, communities, and countries. Trauma is something I feel is often misunderstood. Trauma is not just one horrific event. Trauma is not just a whole bunch of horrific events. Trauma is the “Rosemary’s baby” that is born when a stressful, overwhelming event occurs and is then met by the brain’s many defenses to protect itself against the profound impact of the experienced horror. And just like Rosemary’s baby, trauma lives in the body of its host. Bessel van der Kolk, the leading researcher in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, says, “Trauma is not the story of something that happened back then, it’s the current imprint of that pain, horror and fear living inside people.”  

Flashbacks, panic attacks, nightmares- these are all symptoms of trauma that make the person feel as if they are reliving the event or events. When a soldier with PTSD experiences flashbacks- he is not remembering the war, he is back in the war. Trauma must be processed to be healed. Splinters must be pulled out or else they fester. When trauma goes unprocessed, the negative mental and physical health impacts can often become hereditary. The effects of trauma are passed down generation to generation. Now you’ve got all the pain of a splinter, but you’ve never even touched the wood. 

Sitka, your neighbors are telling you where the splinters are. Your neighbors are asking you to allow them to feel included and considered. So yes, we are asking to erase history. Erase the history of the people of Sitka ignoring their Native brothers’ and sisters’ pain, acting as if time can erase horror. We are being asked to begin to take out the splinters.

Your neighbor and ally,

Alison Brazel, Sitka