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Hamilton Volkswagen under fire for post of SUV near Indigenous art installation
Hamilton Volkswagen has come under fire over its National Day for Truth and Reconciliation social media post of its new vehicle positioned in front of an art installation created by a local Indigenous artist.
Angela DeMontigny, designer of the All Our Relations piece, said in an Instagram post Tuesday that the car dealership’s photo is “disgusting” and “shameful.”
“How dare you use a national day designated to recognize Indigenous survivors of the genocidal residential school system and the children who never made it home along with the All Our Relations public art installation I designed for an ad for your newest vehicle?” DeMontigny wrote in the post.
“To make it even worse, you did this without my permission and without compensation to myself and my team.”
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On Saturday at Bayfront Park, the City of Hamilton unveiled the All Our Relations art installation, which stands 40 feet tall and features five panels of glass beads that represent traditional Indigenous teachings.
The next day, Hamilton Volkswagen posted a photo of its 2024 Atlas near the installation saying it was “representing Indigenous relations.” The post has now been deleted.
Following the backlash, General Manager Tim Johnston told CHCH News that he has since apologized to DeMontigny and offered “a huge apology to anyone who was offended.”
“On behalf of the business, this is a very regrettable incident in the way that it was perceived,” Johnston told CHCH News over the phone.
“The dealership’s intention of the post was to highlight the art, but that doesn’t change the fact that some people may have interpreted it differently.”
He noted that it was actually a third-party company that was behind the concept and delivery of the controversial post.
Johnston also said that Hamilton Volkswagen is looking to “build relationships, not damage them.”
Saturday marked the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential or day schools in Canada between the 1880s and 1996, when the last school closed.
