This is a reply letter to :
The Montreal Gazette (2013).
Damages long past due
A blunt reality behind the pretty story
As a member of the Montreal Deaf-Anglo community and as one of Widd’s
followers, please read me with an open heart and mind.
The light shines on Thomas Widd September 3, 2013
without awareness or involvement of the post-colonized community, the Deaf
community. The celebration of a Deaf pioneer without the presence of his
heritage, the people of the eyes, Thomas Widd’s sad soul in his Rosedale grave
isn’t at peace and joy.
The writer Marian Scott, the artist Lalie Douglas, the professor
Ronald Rudin, the director Chris Boyle, the team are all hearing who expresses
from their phonocentric
views, while implementing stories and projects about us, the people of eyes.
All involved are hearing based on an application of a CODA (children of deaf
adults) who is again, hearing.
Discussing this with the community, we have some gratitude to
McConnell who is respective member and an ally of the community and to the
initiatives of Rudin in the “lost stories” project. However, the presence of
the community remains in the shadow and our voice still unheard and
unappreciated. The anger, disappointment and sadness overwhelm us with a
conflicting tint of bitter gladness.
How did I know about the unveiling of Thomas Widd and Margaret Fitzakerly? August 26, 2013 - A personal e-mail from Joanne Stump, a retired teacher from
Mackay school and a Deaf advocate to make Thomas and our history heard for as
long as I could remember, was sent to me: “Sending
you invitation to presentation of Thomas Widd who was the first deaf principal
or Headmaster of Mackay deaf School. Sending you the attachment. Please
let me know if you can make it. Know it is not a good date or timing, Concordia
team made the decision. We plan to have another presentation for deaf community
at a later date.”
“…hearing privileges are advantages or entitlements that are
enjoyed by people who can hear which are denied to those who are Deaf. These
advantages give hearing people power and authority to decide how society should
be designed” - Tiffany
Tuccoli (2008).
Joanne Stump was one of the important persons involved in the
organization of the unveiling project. Yet, to my amazement, her name isn’t
mentioned in the Gazette article.
This is one of the perfect situations of how one’s privileges take
power of their position in the society that view deaf people as lacking
something, adopting the ableism and audism
attitudes. There are several well-known d/Deaf producers, filmmakers, artists
and writers in Montreal. To have a full understanding of our experiences
through story-telling, the authenticity of projects to well-represent our
community need our visuocentralistic (opposite of phonocentralism) input. In
turn, your attitude will draw the respect and appreciation of the community and
raise the sense of belonging that have been lost for a century. The turnaround
will gain alliance and greater understanding between two wholly different
experiences.
According to the Deaf
Hertiage in Canada book, The Protestant Institute for Deaf-Mutes
school founded in 1870 by Thomas Widd, a former Deaf editor of the local
English newspaper The Daily Witness. Due to financial stresses through local and private donations, a
donation in great amount (a land and a building) was offered to Widd by, of
course, Joseph Mackay who is a wealthy white man with hearing privileges. The
cornerstone in his name was erected and the school The Mackay Institution
for Protestant Deaf-Mutes was opened in 1877. Widd became a principal and the school
expanded.
There were mentions of tension between
cultural and medical views, there was an attempt to integrate the oralism approach into the teachings and
of course, sign language was devalued. Keep in mind of the great colonial
period of Milan 1880
that was excused during the ICED 2010. In 1883, Thomas Widd “resigned” on a sabbatical leave. He and his
wife left for California, and never came back.
Sixty-seven years later, an unveiling ceremony of an oil portrait
to honor Thomas Widd, the founder and the first principal of the school by one
of his pupils, hung in the school lobby that then disappeared in 1960. Before
this in 1957, there was a proposition of combining Mackay and MOSD to validate
that the sign language and oral have equal linguistic and development
advantages. This was favored by Mackay and rejected by the MOSD.
But anyways, the Deaf community has lost their sense of belonging
twice. Period of 1960 - 1970 when the old home was demolished and the period of
2003 – 2013 when the MAB and Mackay was merged and the Mackay moved location.
There is a clear indication of a parallel history that repeats
itself in terms to hearing privileges and colonialism: Thomas Widd and Joseph Mackay in 1877 and
Joanne Stump to Ronald Rudin in 2013. The Deaf people are again… written out of
their own history and historical construction or re-construction.
If hearing society is willing to somehow reversing damages the
hearing privileges had the community done and to adopt anti-audism attitude, now
is the time to develop alliance.
If the Concordia team, MAB-Mackay Centre and any other organizations/services/projects wants to earn the community’s respect
instead of scapegoating the community for their own success and recognition,
please treat us with respect and appreciation. Please treat us as an equal.
Please work with us in alliance.
