The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ public sculpture titled Residential School Totem pole by Charles Joseph has been vandalized, according to the museum.
The MMFA said the piece went missing sometime during the evenings of Sept. 19 and 20.
The museum made a call on social media asking the public to help find the missing piece.
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“We were very disappointed to find out that someone did this,” said Pascale Chassé, director of communications at the MMFA. “That’s why we’re asking people to keep their eyes open.”
Chassé said the act is disrespectful and hopes the public will help retrieve the wooden hand.
The sculpture was created by Indigenous artist and residential school survivor Charles Joseph between 2014 and 2016.
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The art pays tribute to the Indigenous families torn apart and placed in residential schools, according to the museum.
Joseph calls it a token of reconciliation, commemoration and a symbol of the strong and proud northwest Kwakiutl people, according to the sculpture’s plaque.
The Montreal Police told Global News they wouldn’t comment on the case for reasons of confidentiality.
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