Posted on October 25, 2007 - Filed Under Political |
Honor Indians Institute read yesterday that murals, which are displayed on a Boise, Idaho, courthouse, which depict an Indian being lynched, are to get official “interpretive signs” to explain the historical context behind them. The murals were deemed so offensive by one Idaho judge, that he ordered them to be covered up with U.S. and Idaho flags. The murals are again causing a stir because the Idaho legislature is temporarily meeting in the old courthouse while the Idaho State Capitol is being renovated.
Idaho Indian tribes and advocacy groups wanted the murals removed. The murals are embedded in concrete, and cannot be removed. Apparently, paint that sticks to concrete is not sold or available in Idaho. Also, the Idaho State Historical Society believes that the murals have some sort of historical value, and don’t want the murals destroyed. The State’s solution to the problem was to hire a consultant to work with the Idaho tribes to come up with an adequate historical interpretation of the murals. Hopefully, the official “interpretative signs” will be completed sometime in 2008.
Honor Indians Institute would like to save the State of Idaho the time and expense of a consultant, and offer our own interpretations of the murals. We have developed 3 historical versions of the Indian lynching murals. We unveil the first today:
Idaho Indian Lynching Mural Interpretation #1
We will unveil the other two over the next 2 days. We invite your comments and votes as to which one we should present to the Idaho State Legislature as the “Official Interpretive Sign” for the Idaho Lynching Mural. Please share this with your friends and invite them to let their voices be heard. Hopefully, we can get this matter behind us now, rather than wait until sometime next year!
Idaho Indian Lynching Mural Interpretation #2
Idaho Indian Lynching Mural Interpretation #3
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Comments
I particularly appreciate the truth behind the second mural reinterpretation. In terms of Indian mascots, the idea that the intention is to honor Indian peoples is pathologically disingenuous. “Just shut up and be honored” is in fact what one eventually hears from Indian mascot supporters when ultimately pushed into facing the impossible contradiction of maintaining such a stance.
Furthermore, I believe such a hypocritical position demonstrates the continued use of Indian masctos is unfortunately a modern day minstrel show, and is solely about the imposition of power alone, having nothing whatsoever to do with “honoring” Native peoples.
I think this mural is highly offensive. I can not believe it still exists in 2011. I would not want younger Native Americans to see this mural. It is alarming for me to see and I am 34 years old. I do not understand why our Idaho Legislators would allow this awful mural to exist still. I am a concerned Nez Perce Tribal member and I am going to do everything in my power to remove this horrible mural.