Residential school survivor and pro skateboarder Joe Buffalo recently spent some time at the spot in Gastown where the Gassy Jack statue was taken down by demonstrators earlier this month.
In June 2020, the statue was defaced with red paint, which sparked a conversation about the controversial figure. According to a short film entitled "Red Women Rising" by the Battered Women's Support Services, Jack Deighton, known as "Gassy Jack," violated a 12-year-old Indigenous girl by taking her as his child bride.
An online petition called for the removal of Deighton's likeness gained nearly 25,000 signatures, and the Squamish Nation had reached an agreement with the City of Vancouver about removing it before it was unceremoniously toppled.
In a video shared to social media Saturday Feb. 20, Buffalo is shown ollieing over the top of the volcano-shaped perch that the statue used to sit on, landing to tail on the other side and rolling away.
The trick would have been impossible only five days ago, when the problematic statue occupied the space above the spot.
Buffalo, who was featured on the front page of issue 56 of our weekly newspaper, is an inspiration to kids (and grownups) all across North America. He is one of the founders of an organization called Nation Skate Youth that brings positivity and skateboarding to Indigenous youth, and an award-winning film was made about his life, struggles and ultimate triumph after attending residential school.
When his board sponsor Colonialism Skateboards reposted the video to their Instagram account, fans responded with great enthusiasm.
One made the poignant comment, "I love that what is left resembles a cedar bark hat."
