I read with interest the recent op-ed by Trennie Collins and want to add some relevant facts.
As part owner of Toh-Atin’s parking lot and the Chief Diner sign, I have met with City Councilor Barbara Noseworthy and Collins three times.
In the first meeting, last August, I reminded them that we were in the middle of a pandemic, the Navajos were suffering terribly and their day-to-day existence was always challenging but especially so now. And we are navigating through the worst business climate in many decades.
Our focus then, and now, is helping Native people who are desperate and keeping our business alive. We are involved in numerous humanitarian efforts and support charities that are actively helping Native people in a critical way. We are sorry if our sign offends some people, but as Collins says in her op-ed, Native people are facing many serious issues. Our sign is not the highest priority.
However, I agreed to consider ideas and asked Collins to send me artists’ names and images of art to consider. I did not ask her to contact artists or promise anything; just review Native art and send me some links. She never sent anything and later said she didn’t want to waste her or the artists’ time, so, her input was invited and she never followed through.
The next two times we met via Zoom. Before the third meeting, in January, I learned that a person had approached Noseworthy and suggested they might consider financing new artwork to replace the sign, but wanted to remain anonymous. Noseworthy introduced the person to Collins but not to us. I asked Noseworthy and Collins if I was going to be allowed to communicate with this generous person, even if they didn’t want us to know their identity, since it was our property they were considering changing. Collins replied, “No. The person trusts me and will work with me” – to make a major change to our private property.
At that meeting Collins said she wanted us to commit to taking down the Chief Diner sign by the end of the year. I replied that I could not promise that, but we were planning to gather a group of respected and knowledgeable Native people to work with us on ideas. They included previous and current leaders of the Southern Ute Tribe, government and spiritual leaders of the Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo tribes, and traditional Native artists.
At that point Collins said, “There is no point in talking to you anymore,” and hung up on the Zoom call. Efforts were made to bring her back into the conversation, but she refused.
So, we will continue to do what we do best, which is to buy, promote and sell Native art; educate people from all over this country about the Native people, their history, their beautiful culture, hardships they face; and support Indigenous charities.
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To say that “the Clarks have stepped out of conversations and have said they are not willing to take the Chief down” is not true. We are involved in many meaningful conversations. Collins chose to step out of the conversation with us, which is fine, but there are many Native voices. Theirs are just as important as hers.
While some are offended by our sign. many other Native people like the sign and it’s important to listen to them, too.
Maybe the generous benefactor will reach out to us at some point.
Antonia Clark is co-owner, with her brother Jackson Clark, of Toh-Atin Gallery.
