Think Out Loud

Huge murals painted on the walls of the Grant High School auditorium nearly 90 years ago depict white settlers and Native Americans existing in peace and harmony. A planned restoration of these murals has ignited fierce opposition from many students at the school, including the Indigenous Peoples Student Union. They say the depictions are ahistorical and offensive, and they want the murals removed. The Alumni Association, which has raised money for the restoration with the approval of Portland Public Schools, favors restoring the painting. It wants to use the paintings as a way to educate students about the actual history of whites and Indigenous People, and provide other supplemental art at the school that would do this. Our guests are Grant High School Alumni Association’s Bob Erickson; Indigenous Peoples Student Union representative, Aanii Tate; Nina Olsson, a conservator of paintings who’s contracted to restore the murals; and Grant High School principal, Carol Campbell.