Rossdale Cannoli Travels Abroad: United, Again, Against Hate
E-Public History Begins: Enfermo Belfast Enferno
ChW completed a BA at the University of Alberta and an MA at Carleton University in Ottawa. While at the U of A, ChW demonstrated exceptional scholarly promise and clearly had a passion for History (and Public History in particular), exemplified by some impressive contributions to the U of A museums as well as tireless efforts to found an undergraduate journal for History known as Constellations. ChW’s passion for Public History also began to crystallize while working on “hometown” heritage projects in St. Albert, a city located immediately north of Edmonton. At the time the vignette was fashioned in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ChW continued working towards the completion of a Ph.D. at Carleton. While ChW addresses a disturbing "bonfire" tradition in Belfast in the following vignette, the School of One encourages readers to consider the press coverage of the event and, most importantly, the fine example and program called Unite Against Hate included in the first link below.
This is a view from my terrace house in a loyalist working-class neighbourhood of Belfast called The Village in July 2015. Every year, during the weeks leading up to July 12th, select Protestants build massive structures from pallets which they burn on July 11th (also known as Bonfire Night) as a prelude to the massive marches on the Twelfth commemorating the Battle of the Boyne where “Kind” William of Orange defeated the Catholics forces. The commemoration is a time when most people leave the city, including myself. Twenty-four police were hurt and a teenaged girl was crushed under a car this year during the marches. Sadly, when all things are considered this was a relatively quiet Twelfth.
I watched the process of the construction of the bonfire behind my house very closely. Each evening small neighbourhood kids, teenagers and a few young men (presumably members of the UDA, a Loyalist paramilitary group) would, rather “artfully”, construct several rings of pallets, slowly building the structure for the bonfire. After the work was complete, the wooden debris that could not be used for the bonfire structure was burned -- things like tyres, couches, tables and chairs would go up in smoke every night for the five weeks leading up to the Twelfth, and one specific blaze of the rubbish constitutes the fire that you see in the portrait. The Belfast Hills and the fuzzy large white sphere called "rise" but known locally as the “Balls of Falls” (Falls road is the famous Catholic street that runs very close to The Village and Sandy Row) provide the colourful, textured background and dark, gloomy context of the photo.
People think that the troubles ended in the 90s, but in many working-class neighbourhoods found in Belfast, it only ended for the “Bougey-types.” Hate is still very much alive and very loudly celebrated every year. There is an equally powerful and telling image of the letters KAT tagged on the Tates Avenue Bridge – graffiti that "welcomes" you to the Loyalist village where I live. KAT is an acronym meaning "Kill All Taigs” (Catholics) and frequently labels micro-venues claimed in Loyalist areas. When I was walking down Sandy Row on July 13th (which is when the parades actually happened here, because they will not march on Sundays), I walked down a little side road to avoid the large mass of drunken people spilling out of the Belfast Supporters’ clubs and onto Sandy Row and Donegall Road. I walked past a house with the message "No Blacks." Belfast is characterized by a growing number of immigrants. The city remains 99% White, but considering that even the white people cannot get along, it is just as disillusioning to learn that the racism minorities face is unbelievable. I was told that a racially-fueled crime is committed every three hours in Belfast. This city is suffering from a sad sickness, and while there are so many people ho are trying to help Belfast heal, there is still so much work to be done.
For serious efforts to address racism and hate in Belfast, please see:
- Unite Against Hate
- “Twelfth 2015,” Belfast Telegraph (13/07/2015) - insights of Claire Williamson (local journalist) into some of the events remembered above
- BBC News for “North Belfast: Policeman’s ear virtually severed in violence"
About the Rossdale Cannoli
This piece was one of the first "hard rock" microcarvings that the School of One of Carver sculpted. The microcarving underlies some of the fundamental objectives of the Global Art Project, further suggested in the generous and thoughtful vignette. The School of One, again, is extremely grateful for example of the inspirational work of the Belfast organization Unite Against Hate found via the link above that we learned about as this e-public history collaboration unfolded. Meanwhile, the rock for the Rossdale Cannoli (Fall 2013) was quarried from the southern bank of the North Saskatchewan River Valley, somewhere in the environs found below the High Level Bridge and the University of Alberta. The “eye hole” of the piece confirms its relationship to the Marlin Series of the Homeglen School of One, especially since the eye of this carving, too, can be used to focus upon and “tunnel” local surroundings. When it was carved, the colour of the rock seemed to suggest distinct Canadian patriotic memories of flag debates that unfolded during the 1960s while the fissures defining the tail of the piece recalled the way the natural spectrum cascades downwards and spirals throughout the Edmonton River valley during the weeks leading up to the Autumnal Equinox. Meanwhile, the carving’s name pays homage to a curious rock cod encountered during a brief fishing expedition on the Pacific near Campbell River, British Columbia, many years ago when life was far more irresponsible. The Rossdale Cannoli was made in appreciation of the academic achievements and historical contributions of ChW. The portrait by ChW of the carving found above “peering for accountability” at the Canadian Parliament was one of the first collaborations undertaken in support of the Global Art Project when it began to take shape during Fall 2014.
