Canada: Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke… Controversy after the revelation of a book burning in a school – South West

Should we burn Tintin, because it is considered offensive to the Amerindians? The Revelation of a book burning practiced in a Canadian school in 2019, during a ceremony supposed to apologize to indigenous peoples, created controversy in the country. A federation of French-speaking Canadian schools had chosen to sort through the shelves of its libraries and therefore to remove 5,000 children’s books – comics, novels and encyclopedias – considering that they conveyed prejudices about Aboriginal peoples.

Among these books: “Tintin in America”, “Asterix and the Indians”, three albums by Lucky Luke but also novels, encyclopedias … And, during a ceremony, some books were burned in one of the schools for work towards “reconciliation”, revealed Radio Canada. An auto-fire denounced by all political parties immediately revealed.

“Gesture of reconciliation”

A video intended for the pupils explained the process aimed at “Bury the ashes” of “racism, discrimination and stereotypes in the hope that we will grow up in an inclusive country where all can live in prosperity and security ”. Other ceremonies initially planned could not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is a gesture of reconciliation with the First Nations and a gesture of openness towards the other communities present in the school and our society”, had justified, with the national radio, Lyne Cossette, door – speech of the school council of this federation, evoking works with “obsolete and inappropriate content”. Faced with the controversy, the group of schools announced Wednesday to suspend the destruction.

Political convictions

As the country is shaken by the highlighting of a dark part of its history and the policy of forced assimilation of the first nations, this revelation has reacted the leaders of the main parties currently campaigning for the elections. legislative of September 20. “I am never in favor of burning the books,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who however insisted on the importance of reconciliation with the First Nations.

Erin O’Toole promised that a Conservative government would commit to “reconciliation”. “But the road to reconciliation does not mean tearing Canada down. I strongly condemn the burning of books, ”he wrote on Twitter. The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP, left) Jagmeet Singh believes for his part that “the approach in teaching” to children “must be changed”.

The country is still reeling from the discovery of hundreds of graves of Indigenous children near Catholic boarding schools. Tens of thousands of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were forcibly conscripted into these institutions from the late 19th century to the 1990s, estranged from their families and culture. Thousands never returned.