Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Friday 8 September 2017
Post office painting of Native Americans called demeaning

By MICHAEL CASEY learning the Native Ameri-
Associated Press can commission had come
DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — For out against it and called for
decades, a colorful mural it either to be removed or
of New Hampshire’s earliest covered.
settlers hauling logs, frolick- Marple proposed the town
ing through the snow and pay for removing the entire
walking through town has mural while Selig called for
greeted visitors at a post the creation of additional
office in the state. artwork to be installed at
But one image on the the post office “that would
16-panel artwork of a Na- provide a more complete
tive American posing perspective on the inter-
menacingly with a set- section between colonists
tler’s house in the distance and indigenous people in
— and the words “Cruel this area.” But when Selig
Adversity” below it — has contacted the postal ser-
sparked controversy in vice, an employee there
Durham, a mostly white told him the postal service
and affluent town that is no longer accepts artwork
home to the University of in its buildings and has a
New Hampshire. There are policy of prohibiting art from
no other images of Native A mural that includes an image, fourth from left, of a Native American and inscribed with the being altered or removed.
Americans on the mural. words “Cruel Adversity” hangs in the Durham, N.H., post office. Critics have called the image A spokesman for the postal
The town said the Native demeaning to Native Americans and demanded it be removed. The town has called for the post service, Steve Doherty, re-
American panel is based office to include language into the mural that puts the image into context. ferred to a postal service
(AP Photo/Michael Casey).
on a 1694 massacre in regulation that concluded
which about 250 Wabana- period, one would under- tesville, Virginia. A white na- wrote letters or came into artwork in its lobbies “forms
ki warriors attacked a set- stand that the portrayal of tionalist rally over a Robert town hall to complain that a vital part of America’s
tlement in what is now Dur- the Native people as “cruel E. Lee statue in Charlottes- the Native American panel national heritage and ev-
ham and killed or impris- adversity” perpetuates an ville last month turned vio- was “really inappropriate.” ery effort is made by the
oned 100 settlers. But some idea of history only from the lent and left a counterpro- The mural was donated to Postal Service to preserve
residents have complained European prospective.” tester dead. the post office in 1959 by and safeguard this collec-
it’s offensive, and the New The debate over the panel Kitty Marple, chairwom- the Women’s Club of Dur- tion for future generations.”
Hampshire Commission on goes back decades and an of the Durham Town ham. But it wasn’t until a For now, the mural remains
Native American Affairs echoes fights across the Council and Durham Hu- year ago that Town Admin- in place at the Durham
has written to the U.S. Post- country to replace sports man Rights Commission, istrator Todd Selig took a post office, hanging above
al Service asking that it be mascots that some Native said people over the years closer look at the issue after the lobby. q
removed or covered up. Americans consider offen-
“We are concerned that sive and remove names of
the mural entitled “Cruel historical figures from pub-
Adversity” inaccurately lic buildings whose policies
portrays the local indige- were seen as discrimina-
nous people, and the histo- tory against them.
ry, of the town of Durham,” The Durham debate has
said Kathleen Blake, the intensified during the past
commission’s vice chair. “If year and taken on added
one learned more about urgency in recent weeks
the history from this time in light of unrest in Charlot-

Maine:

Prognosticating ‘Passy Pete’ lobster
predicts 6 more weeks of summer

BELFAST, Maine (AP) — A bridge, thought up the
group of Mainers says Passy eccentric ceremony as
Pete the Lobster has pre- a way to have some fun.
dicted six more weeks of Each year, a group of
summer at an annual cer- barons flank Passy Pete as
emony. he picks a scroll to deter-
The crustacean has been mine whether Maine will
fished out of the Passagas- see an extended summer
sawakeag River for the or be greeted by winter.
past three years in a tradi- This year’s ceremony took
tion modeled after famed place Monday.
groundhog Punxsutawney Crabiel tells WLBZ-TV Pete’s
Phil’s winter prediction in been right the past two
Pennsylvania. years. Brassbridge says
David Crabiel and his busi- they hope to carry on the
ness partner, David Brass- tradition.q