2021

For over 10 days in June 2021, a sacred fire burned in City Park [1]. Ignited by the unearthing of the bodies of children at the sites of former residential schools, Revolution of the Heart aimed to raise public consciousness of the genocide that takes place on these lands, bring together the local community, and fight for the removal of the John A. MacDonald statue in City Park [2]. Organizers hosted various opportunities for community engagement and learning, particularly around John A. MacDonald’s colonial legacy. These included teach-ins about residential schools and the Indian Act, drumming circles, a potluck, and talking circles to discuss the long-standing effects of residential schools [3]. To sustain the fire, people camped in the park around the statue and took part in a community effort to keep everyone there fed. The Indigenous-led action, supported by settler allies, remained steadfast in their principled stance in the face of intimidation and manipulation of police against them.

On the morning of June 18th, municipal workers removed the statue from its pedestal as a large crowd of onlookers cheered. The ejection of the statue was followed by a “letting go” ceremony conducted by Indigenous community members. Guided by a core organizer of the Revolution of the Heart Ceremonial Action, the firekeepers laid the sacred fire to rest in ceremony.

This is undoubtedly a victory for anti-colonial struggles in Kingston. Yet, we continue to operate in a settler colonial context here on Turtle Island, which represents over 500 years of ongoing genocide, forced displacement, theft of land, policing and surveillance, and continued military repression and criminalization of resistance. Therefore, for those of us who are settlers – or who otherwise come to be on these lands – it is important for us to disrupt settler-colonialism through building anti-colonial solidarities.

1.  Toppling of a Tyrant. 2022. ‘Yesterday we lit a sacred fire to commemorate the one year anniversary of taking down the statue of JAM.’ [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/RemoveSirJAM/
2. Revolution of the Heart. 2021. ‘Together in Ceremony: Action to remember residential school survivors and to remove statue an important step in working for reconciliation’,  Skeleton Park Press, 7.
3. Toppling of a Tyrant. n.d. Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved July 13th, 2022, from https://www.facebook.com/RemoveSirJAM/