thumb|Large shield on the [[Confederation Building (Newfoundland and Labrador)|grounds of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly with Signal Hill and the Narrows in the distance]]

The coat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador was originally granted by Garter King of Arms, during the reign of King Charles I, on 1 January 1637/8.

History

On 13 November 1637, "all that whole Continent Island or Region commonly called NEWFOUNDLAND" On 1 January 1638, it was deemed that a coat of arms was necessary "for the greater honor and splendor of that Countrey and the people therein inhabiting." and the coat of arms granted him was forgotten. It was not used for over 200 years and it appears its existence was unknown to both the Newfoundland and United Kingdom authorities.

Instead, the colony used as its Great Seal both the Royal coat of arms The Newfoundland Post Office perpetuated his error by issuing a 1910 two-cent stamp depicting the arms and included attribution to the London and Bristol Company, which financed Guy's colonization attempt.

Following the First World War, the Imperial War Graves Commission requested to know which arms should be used on memorials in French cathedrals commemorating Newfoundland's involvement. Newfoundland's High Commissioner in England, Sir Edgar Bowring began the search, but it was his successor, Captain Victor Gordon, who received confirmation from the College of Arms in London that the Kirke coat of arms belonged to Newfoundland. In 1928 the government of the Dominion of Newfoundland officially adopted this coat of arms. It has been in use ever since, despite the changes in Newfoundland's status from Dominion to a colony run by the Commission of Government in 1934, and subsequently to a province of Canada in 1949. The Coat of Arms Act (RSNL 1990, chapter C-20, as amended) provides the current legal authority for the use of the arms.

Symbolism

Crest

:A Moose appears standing on a wreath of gold and red to represent Newfoundland's wildlife.

Redesign

Starting in the 2010s, the coat of arms has been criticized for its portrayal of indigenous peoples. In 2016, Indigenous artist Jordan Bennett produced a newly commissioned artwork "tamiow tle’owin" for the "With Secrecy and Despatch" exhibition at the Campbelltown Art Centre, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The piece focuses on the Newfoundland and Labrador coat of arms and is, according to the artist's statement, "a commentary on the exotification, exploitation, and commodification of Indigenous cultures."

In 2018, the Newfoundland and Labrador government confirmed its plan to redesign the province's coat of arms, in response to the province's Indigenous Peoples Commission's call for changes in the name of reconciliation. Randy Edmunds, MHA for Labrador's Torngat Mountains and parliamentary secretary for Indigenous Affairs, noted at the same time that elk are not native to Newfoundland and Labrador, and suggested it be replaced with a caribou.

News of a potential redesign spawned media polls and tongue-in-cheek suggestions. It also spurred a satirical response from Indigenous newspaper columnist and Qalipu First Nation Councilor Andy Barker.

In June 2021, following the possible discovery of unmarked graves in the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Premier Andrew Furey announced that the government had issued a formal notice to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly to begin the redesign process.

See also

  • Symbols of Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Canadian heraldry
  • National symbols of Canada
  • List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
  • Heraldry

References

  • Coat of arms and flag of Newfoundland and Labrador Online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
  • Coat of arms description.
  • Coat of arms description.
  • tamiow tle’owin indigenous commentary as part of the "With Secrecy and Despatch" exhibition, Campbelltown Art Centre, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia,