|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Vandals
Deface Sacred Oiseau Rock
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| One of the most
spectacular natural wonders of the Ottawa Valley, Oiseau Rock, has once
again been the victim of senseless vandalism.
On the weekend of July 23, boaters spray-painted their names and sexually derogatory phrases in bright orange spray paint on the rock face. Located on the Quebec shore of the Ottawa River 9 miles east of Deep River, Oiseau Rock is a well-known landmark for the boating community in the area. At a height of 170 meters above river level, Oiseau Rock is a vertical cliff that towers over the deep water and leaves a stunning impression on anybody paddling past. |
 Dr. Daniel Arsenault inspecting the graffiti that obscures the Oiseau Rock pictographs in July 2007. |
In 1686, French explorer Chevalier de Troyes made note of this remarkable feature in his diary, and Sir William Logan sketched the rock as he completed the first geographical survey of Canada in the 1840’s.
In many First Nations traditions, such places—where high cliffs meet deep waters—are considered a doorway between life and death. For this reason, Oiseau Rock has been a sacred Aboriginal site for thousands of years. Paddlers would traditionally attach small parcels of tobacco to arrows and shoot them towards to top of the cliff face as an offering to ensure safe passage. There is a colourful collection of myths associated with the rock, including a legend of how a baby fell off the cliff and was saved by an eagle.
Oiseau Rock is one of the premiere pictograph sites of the Canadian Shield. Dozens of ancient drawings in rusty red paint show symbolic figures that range from fishing parties to bears to religious figures. However, over the past few decades, hundreds of boaters have desecrated the rock with graffiti. The pictographs are becoming more and more difficult to see amidst the graffiti, and in some cases the drawings have been covered up completely.Dr. Daniel Arsenault, one of Canada’s leading rock art specialists, believes that the past vandals didn’t know they were desecrating a sacred site. And until knowledge of the significance of Oiseau Rock becomes widespread, there likely will be no end in sight to the senseless acts of vandalism that the rock endures every summer.
For more information about Oiseau Rock and about how to contribute to conservation efforts, please visit the Friends of Oiseau Rock website.
Copyright © 1995-2008 by
BRiGHT IDEAS SOFTWARE
Email
www.bright-ideas-software.com/news/