A school board in the province of Ontario, Canada destroyed around 5,000 children’s books considered racist in 2019, a CBC report this week revealed.
Among the works, listed in a 165-page document obtained by the vehicle, were novels, encyclopedias and comics, including popular figures like Tintin and Asterix.
Of these, around 30 were burned in an alleged cleansing ceremony. According to the organizers, the aim of the event was to promote reconciliation with indigenous peoples by getting rid of books containing inappropriate representations of these communities.
A video distributed to students cited the flame purification and said, “We bury the ashes of racism, discrimination and stereotypes in the hope that we will grow up in an inclusive country where we can all live in prosperity and security. . “
The school council, which brings together about 23 elementary schools and seven high schools, all Catholic and with classes taught in French, told Radio-Canada this week that it regrets the event and that it will revise its process. disposal of books deemed obsolete.
The author of the video and one of the creators of the project, Indigenous activist Suzy Kies said, “People are freaking out about burning books, but we are talking about millions of books that have negative images of books. indigenous peoples, who perpetuate stereotypes, which are harmful and dangerous “. .
Kies resigned on Wednesday (8), after the case came to light with questions about the researcher’s Indigenous ancestry.
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