This letter is in response to the letter by Ulla Reidel-Schrewe (“Skowhegan Indian a one-of-a-kind landmark,” April 14) regarding the Langlais Indian sculpture in Skowhegan.
There are many reasons not to restore this statue.
Bernard Langlais chose to create this statue out of wood. He knew it would be transient.
Public displays of Native Americans by non-Native artists need to be displayed only after input from Natives. A lesson I learned from a conference in Greenville about museums with Native artifacts is to not even start planning until the Wabanaki have been involved. Colby has provided leadership in that approach. This piece of art is a caricature of Wabanaki apparel.
This statue has not been recognized as a historic piece of art.
In addition, the collapse which recently occurred pointed out potential physical risk to people close to the statue when very heavy metal came crashing to the ground.
There are many other sculptures by Bernard Langlais around Skowhegan. They are worth seeing as people explore central Maine. They are part of the ongoing growth of this community. We can take pride in our direction and respect our Wabanaki neighbors.
Roger Renfrew
Skowhegan
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