'That hurt has been extended': Indigenous leaders in Manitoba share displeasure of Queen Elizabeth II statue being back up
Two years after two statues were knocked down and damaged at the Manitoba Legislature, one is now back up and Indigenous leaders are upset by the decision.
Last week, the province put up the Queen Elizabeth II statue back in its original place and leaders say there was no warning and it is bad timing.
"It will have negative reactions from our people no doubt," said Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Grand Chief Garrison Settee.
In a statement, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said the province did not consult on this decision, calling the move disappointing and upsetting.
"The replacement of the Queen Elizabeth II statue, without warning, perpetuates the painful legacy of Canadian colonialism," the statement said. "By re-erecting the statue commemorating Queen Elizabeth II, that hurt has been extended."
Settee agrees with Merrick's comments.
"Our people are recovering from the discovery of unmarked graves. It's a bad time to reintroduce the monarchy's legacy," said Settee.
Settee would like the space to be used for a new statue of an Indigenous leader like Elijah Harper, who was an MLA from 1981 to 1992 and an MP from 1993 to 1997.
The province is planning a statue of Chief Peguis for the legislature grounds in 2024. Government Services Minister James Teitsma also noted First Nations leaders were told about the Queen Elizabeth statue last year.
"The province engaged with AMC leadership and First Nations groups and advised that the Queen Elizabeth II statue would be returned to its location, and no concerns were conveyed at the time," Teitsma said in a statement.
Since being put back up, the statue has already been vandalized. The words "colonizer" and "killer” were spray painted on the statue.
Governor General Mary Simon addressed the concerns on Wednesday, saying, "There is frustrations, there's anger and from time to time, they will express that anger and the frustrations."
The Winnipeg Police Service said it is investigating the vandalism and no one has been charged to date.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Moneris says systems back online after users across Canada report outages affecting debit, credit payments
The payment processing company Moneris says it has resolved an outage that appeared to affect debit and credit transactions across the country.
A Black student was suspended for his hairstyle. Now his family is suing Texas officials
The family of a Black high school student in Texas who was suspended over his dreadlocks filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Saturday against the state's governor and attorney general, alleging they failed to enforce a new law outlawing discrimination based on hairstyles.
Manitoba could make history by electing first First Nations premier to lead province
A First Nations premier would head a province for the first time in Canadian history if the New Democrats win the Oct. 3 Manitoba election, and the significance is not lost on party leader Wab Kinew.
Smoke prevents Yellowknife from holding welcome home celebration
Smoke has forced Yellowknife to cancel a celebration marking the return of residents to the city after a wildfires-prompted evacuation that lasted for weeks.
Ford offers Unifor wage increases up to 25 per cent
Ford Motor has offered Canadian union Unifor wage increases of up to 25 per cent in its tentative agreement, the union said on Saturday. The agreement provides a 10 per cent wage increase for the first year followed by increases of two per cent and three per cent through the second and third year and a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus to all employees on the active roll of the company, Unifor said.
Aid shipments and evacuations as Azerbaijan reasserts control over breakaway province
More badly needed humanitarian aid was on its way to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh via both Azerbaijan and Armenia on Saturday. The development comes days after Baku reclaimed control of the province and began talks with representatives of its ethnic Armenian population on reintegrating the area, prompting some residents to flee their homes for fear of reprisals.
Why is Brampton rent surging 3 times faster than every other city in Canada?
Rent in Brampton shot up three times faster over the last year than the national average in Canada, according to a rental report.
1 RCMP officer killed, 2 seriously injured while executing search warrant in Coquitlam, B.C.
One RCMP officer was killed and two others were seriously injured while police were executing a search warrant at a home in Coquitlam, B.C., Friday.
EXCLUSIVE 'Shared intelligence' from Five Eyes informed Trudeau's India allegation: U.S. ambassador
There was 'shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners' that informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's public allegation of a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed to CTV News.