Michaels Canada to pull toy set from shelves after complaint over depiction of First Nations people

Controversial toy being removed from store shelves Sarah Plowman reports on the controversy surrounding a toy depicting an Indigenous person that's being sold at a local store.

A Winnipeg mother calling for a specialty arts and craft store to remove a toy depicting cowboys and Indigenous peoples from the 1880s is seeing results — Michaels is now removing the toy from store shelves in Canada.

Erin Vandale went to a Michaels store in Winnipeg about two weeks ago to look for figurines for her child’s school project. While the mother of four and early childhood educator was searching the toy aisle, she stumbled across a toy called “Wild West,” a 12-piece set of miniature figurines depicting cowboys, pioneers and what the box labelled as ‘American Indians’ from the 1880s.

One cowboy had a gun. One Indigenous man had a bow and arrow.

“We’re taking colonial actions, things that actually happened in Canada that were horrible and we’re giving them to children to reproduce them as a play,” said Vandale, who is non-Indigenous and whose husband and children are Metis.

“I don’t want to see my children’s culture or my husband’s culture represented in that way in a store like Michaels,” she said.

As soon as Vandale saw the toy, she said she complained to Michaels. A week after, when she saw the toy was still available on its website, she attempted to post a negative review. But 15 minutes after submitting it, she received a notice from Michaels telling her the review did not meet their guidelines.

Vandale’s review read, “I take issue with the kind of play this toy will promote. The relationships between settlers and First Nations peoples were fraught with tension and horrible actions. I would really like to see this toy taken off the shelves.”

“I wasn’t trying to be inflammatory in it. I was just coming from a really honest place and I think I should be able to write that,” said Vandale. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

CTV News first reached out to Michaels Monday morning. Late in the afternoon, a public relations representative with the company told CTV News the toy would be removed from store shelves in Canada.

In a statement, Michaels said: “At Michaels, we value all cultures, and this product assortment was not intended to be disrespectful in any way. While the figurines referenced are often used for school projects, including historical dioramas, exploring the plains of the American west; this item will be removed from our stores in Canada. We appreciate all of the feedback we receive from our customers and we are committed to treating all of our customers with dignity and respect.”

Jacqueline Romanow, chair of Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg, said our society somehow absorbs the caricature of Indigenous people as normal and acceptable.

“You don’t see toys or games set up who are reconstructing the era of plantation owner and salve. We wouldn’t have to have a discussion about why that’s absolutely offensive,” Romanow said.