Dog Rock Reflection

As one of our assignments for this trip, Ellen had asked us to write a memo considering the case example of Dog Rock – a significant site for Aboriginal people, but one that is located right in the middle of a city with a busy road next to it and a surrounded by shopping, a motel, and a vet’s office. How can and should Dog Rock be preserved, taking into account the interests of all concerned parties?

I found the case of Dog Rock particularly interesting as there it obviously lies at the complicated intersection between sacred belief and commercialism. While I am not clear exactly on the significance of Dog Rock in Aboriginal culture, the fact that it looks like a giant dog head makes it completely understandable, in my mind, that it is an important cultural landmark. Yet it is immediately adjacent to a major road and surrounded by businesses, the hallmark of our commercial society.

I was surprised to find that not only was there a shopping plaza named for the rock, but also a veterinary office located close by and a motel built into similar rock formations just across the road. I was struck by the question of whether such use and recognition of Dog Rock was a tribute or merely a marketing angle (it is certainly quite memorable to take your pet to a vet by Dog Rock.)

At the very least, Dog Rock is a local landmark. To each person who knows it, it might mean something different. But shouldn’t that personal attachment mean something, especially if it is a deeply held attachment felt by a whole group of people? At the very least, I believe Dog Rock must be preserved, however I am unsure how to proceed beyond that.

As a city grows around a natural formation, either the formation must be accommodated or accommodate. In this case, Dog Rock has been accommodated by the curvature of the road and sidewalk and the placement of businesses around the rock. Given this, the easiest route would be for Albany to continue to accommodate the rock, leaving it alone. As an educator and visitor, though, I believe that appropriate signage might make Dog Rock more understandable to the outsider and thus give it a place in the hearts of more people. By accommodating and educating, the city can honor the rock and the space and the stories.

Peace,
Jill