The Royal Canadian Mint has, under orders from the Liberal cabinet, begun to reflect “colonialism, patriarchy and racism” in historical observances, says Blacklock’s Reporter..So out is Nobel Laureate Frederick Banting from a coin commemorating the discovery of insulin..In is James “Skookum Jim” Mason of the Tagish First Nation in a separate coin marking discovery of gold in the Yukon..“Public demand is high with many people collecting coins,” the Mint said in a statement Thursday.The agency wouldn’t comment on its omission of Banting, lead researcher in the 1921 discovery of insulin..“The Mint produces commemorative circulation coins as a means to assist in the promotion of Canada’s heritage as well as Canadian values, culture and history,” wrote staff..“These special coins engage the Canadian public while raising awareness about topics, stories and events of importance to Canadians.”.Banting was a First World War combat veteran awarded the Military Cross for heroism. He won the 1923 Nobel Prize in Medicine and sold his insulin patent to the University of Toronto for a dollar. Banting died in a 1941 plane crash..A special-issue loonie observing the 125th anniversary of the Klondike gold rush will depict “Skookum Jim” Mason credited with finding gold in Yukon’s Rabbit Creek in 1896. The coin was designed in consultation with the Assembly of First Nations, said the Mint..Mason died in 1916. He left an estate valued at $38,000 in probate court, the modern equivalent of $820,000..The Klondike coin also shows Mason’s co-discoverer, brother-in-law George Carmack, his sister and a First Nations prospector Kaa Goox “set in a hilled and forested landscape,” wrote staff..“On a hillside appears an image representing the Moosehide gathering place where the Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation relocated when it was displaced because of the gold rush. It has become a critical symbol representing the community’s experience.”.The Klondike coin was approved following a 2020 online survey, said the Mint..Officials yesterday would not release pollsters’ findings..“These coins would commemorate the significance of the Klondike gold rush on the socio-economic development of Yukon, its wide-ranging implications for the Indigenous communities that experienced it, and its role in driving the broader evolution of what would become Canada’s North,” wrote staff..Cabinet two years ago issued a Framework For History And Commemoration stating federal observances must “confront the legacy of colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples,” stress “inclusiveness” and focus on “diversity of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and religion.”.“In Canadian history colonialism, patriarchy and racism are examples of ideologies and structures that have profound legacies,” said Framework For History..“There is a need to be cognizant of, and to confront, these legacies. This contributes to the ongoing process of truth-telling and reconciliation.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
The Royal Canadian Mint has, under orders from the Liberal cabinet, begun to reflect “colonialism, patriarchy and racism” in historical observances, says Blacklock’s Reporter..So out is Nobel Laureate Frederick Banting from a coin commemorating the discovery of insulin..In is James “Skookum Jim” Mason of the Tagish First Nation in a separate coin marking discovery of gold in the Yukon..“Public demand is high with many people collecting coins,” the Mint said in a statement Thursday.The agency wouldn’t comment on its omission of Banting, lead researcher in the 1921 discovery of insulin..“The Mint produces commemorative circulation coins as a means to assist in the promotion of Canada’s heritage as well as Canadian values, culture and history,” wrote staff..“These special coins engage the Canadian public while raising awareness about topics, stories and events of importance to Canadians.”.Banting was a First World War combat veteran awarded the Military Cross for heroism. He won the 1923 Nobel Prize in Medicine and sold his insulin patent to the University of Toronto for a dollar. Banting died in a 1941 plane crash..A special-issue loonie observing the 125th anniversary of the Klondike gold rush will depict “Skookum Jim” Mason credited with finding gold in Yukon’s Rabbit Creek in 1896. The coin was designed in consultation with the Assembly of First Nations, said the Mint..Mason died in 1916. He left an estate valued at $38,000 in probate court, the modern equivalent of $820,000..The Klondike coin also shows Mason’s co-discoverer, brother-in-law George Carmack, his sister and a First Nations prospector Kaa Goox “set in a hilled and forested landscape,” wrote staff..“On a hillside appears an image representing the Moosehide gathering place where the Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation relocated when it was displaced because of the gold rush. It has become a critical symbol representing the community’s experience.”.The Klondike coin was approved following a 2020 online survey, said the Mint..Officials yesterday would not release pollsters’ findings..“These coins would commemorate the significance of the Klondike gold rush on the socio-economic development of Yukon, its wide-ranging implications for the Indigenous communities that experienced it, and its role in driving the broader evolution of what would become Canada’s North,” wrote staff..Cabinet two years ago issued a Framework For History And Commemoration stating federal observances must “confront the legacy of colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples,” stress “inclusiveness” and focus on “diversity of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and religion.”.“In Canadian history colonialism, patriarchy and racism are examples of ideologies and structures that have profound legacies,” said Framework For History..“There is a need to be cognizant of, and to confront, these legacies. This contributes to the ongoing process of truth-telling and reconciliation.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
