CNST 361 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Aboriginal Peoples In Canada, Carleton University, Pierre Trudeau
12 Jan 2017
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Lecture 2: What is (and Why) Canadian Studies?
• Interdisciplinary
• Tying the past history to the present and future
Beginnings
• Canadians have always been conflicted about their identity
• Confederation: George-Etienne Cartier note “being Canadian” was a “political nationality”
o Supposedly didn’t have any religious, ethnic ties (although didn’t include Aboriginals)
o Political construct
• Is this all? Many disagreed; saw “being Canadian” as something deeper than politics
• English Canadians largely saw themselves as British subjects: French Canadians as true
Canadiens
• Post WWII many elite Canadians were concerned about increased continentalism
• British decline & rise of America as global superpower
• Fed into always existing concerns in Canada about living beside the United States
• Fed into existing concerns in Canada about being inherently divided (French-English, “New
Canadians”, Aboriginal Canadians, regional)
o Identity politics = instead of identifying as a nation, you identify as smaller groups (e.g.,
gender, race, ethnic group = gender, race, ethic identity)
o Fear of further fragmenting Canadian identity (adoption of multiculturalism &
bilingualism) → Grasping at a solid self identity to not be taken over by American
imperialism
o White paper introduce by Pierre Trudeau to abolish negative laws towards Aboriginal
rights, created alternative that maintained positive laws for Aboriginals which had
previously been gained
• French Canada/Quebec was seen as almost a foreign nation in this period
• Most French Canadians loosely identified with Canada; some wanted separation
• Envisioned a “deux nations” vision of Canada; it was an agreement b/w two equal nations
(English Canada & Quebec)
• English Canadian establishment embraced a unitary vision of Canada, accepting its “British
nature” as necessary for true democracy and tolerance
• This unitary vision would prevent Canada from being swallowed by the US
• But some, among them influential Canadian diplomat Vincent Massey, believed the government
had to be active in protecting Canadian culture
Vincent Massey, 1887 – 1967
• Chancellor of University of Toronto
• Selected as chairman of the Royal Commission on the Development of the Arts, Letters &
Sciences in 1949
• Travelled across the nation to investigate the state of Canadian culture & cultural institutions
The Massey Commission and Report (1951)
• Canada doesn’t care about their culture, if nations were ranked Canada would be last
• Warned against the cultural imperialism of the United States
• Use government funding to promote and preserve “Canadian culture”
• Resulted in creation of the National Archives, expansion of NFB and National Gallery, creation
of the Canada Council, federal funding for universities was guaranteed
o Concerned about “foreign” (American) influence not British (Openly welcomed high
British culture—Not music halls and pubs)
Massey’s Culture
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Interdisciplinary: tying the past history to the present and future. Beginnings: canadians have always been conflicted about their identity, confederation: george-etienne cartier note being canadian was a political nationality , supposedly didn"t have any religious, ethnic ties (although didn"t include aboriginals, political construct. Many disagreed; saw being canadian as something deeper than politics: english canadians largely saw themselves as british subjects: french canadians as true. Vincent massey, 1887 1967: chancellor of university of toronto, selected as chairman of the royal commission on the development of the arts, letters & Sciences in 1949: travelled across the nation to investigate the state of canadian culture & cultural institutions. Certainly did little to nothing for aboriginal culture, immigrant culture, etc: provinces, especially quebec, balked at intrusion into their jurisdictions, elitist; americans as crass , canadians as high culture. Canadian studies: first institute for canadian studies is founded in 1957 at carlton university in ottawa.
