An organization has started a petition calling on the Canadian government to reimagine the $20 bill to honour and recognize Indigenous women’s contributions to the country.
The Native Women’s Association of Canada launched the “Change The Bill” campaign in January. It aims to promote reconciliation through art by commissioning Indigenous artists to redesign the $20 bill with the faces of Indigenous women.
“Canada has been printing money for over 150 years. In that time, an Indigenous woman has never been featured on a Canadian bank note,” reads its website..
Canada made history in 2018 when it featured civil rights activist and businesswoman Viola Desmond on the $10 bill, marking the first Black woman to ever be placed on a Canadian bank note. Desmond is known for her activism after being jailed and convicted for refusing to leave a whites-only area in a movie theater in 1946.
“Change The Bill is not just about placing an Indigenous woman on a banknote, it is about recognizing the contributions and significance of Indigenous women in Canada and creating a more inclusive society,” CEO of NWAC, Lynne Groulx, said in a petition description.
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Here are three out of the 12 designs by Indigenous artists:
The association is encouraging Canadians to sign and support its Change The Bill petition.. Its current goal is to achieve 35,000 signatures. As of Wednesday afternoon, it has gained over 31,000 names.
“Placing an Indigenous woman on the bill would go far in recognizing the important but often overlooked contributions they have made to this country. Change is long overdue,” reads the website.
To vote or purchase any of the 12 reimagined designs, you can visit this website.