power to the first people/power to the people/CAFKA contemporary art forum kitchener.02/Kitchener City Hall, Ontario, Canada

Power to the First People:

1872
The British Columbia Qualifications of Voters Act denies the Chinese and First Nations peoples the right to vote.

1880-85
About 15,000 Chinese workers were shipped from China to complete construction of the western section of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, about one third of the workers died on the job and many injured (among the perished was my children’s
great great grandfather).

1923
The Chinese Immigration Act (the Exclusion Act) prohibits Chinese immigrants from entering Canada, with a few exceptions.
Many wives and children in China are unable to join their husbands and fathers in Canada. All Chinese people already living
in Canada, even those born here, have to register with the government to receive a certificate of registration.

The installation art piece is a tribute to the First Nation People and the Canadian Chinese people who had been deprived of
their rights, as well as a commemoration to the coolies who had died during the construction of the CP Rail.  

 

 

 

 

 

performance   power 2 the people

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