Japanese Canadians have been a part of Canada since the early years of Canada’s development in the 1870s. After the bombing occurred in Pearl Harbour, “the fear of a Japanese invasion quickly spread throughout the west of Canada” (The Canadian Encyclopedia), and this resulted to the internment of Japanese Canadians. The callous mindset of the government lead to Japanese Canadians being forced out of their homes, sent into internment camps where they were kept in livestock barns while all their possessions have been either auctioned off or kept by the RCMP, and some were laboured into working in a farm with no pay to “prove their loyalty” (King, 75). Thomas King’s “Coyote and the Enemy Aliens”, looks into this aspect of the dark past in Canadian history and how the government reacted towards the
Robin Bailey, an Indigenous girl and Daunis’s former hokey partner pass away due to meth addiction and her funeral is held at a church. Daunis says, “Her parents are Catholics who don’t follow Ojibwe traditions about the four-day journey. ” (Boulley, 287) In this quote, the intergenerational impact of colonization on Indigenous families can be seen on families such as Robin Bailey’s family, who no longer follow and believe in Ojibwe religion and traditions. It can be seen how their ancestors are traumatized by the colonizers through residential schools, where kids are abused in order to forget Indigenous culture and become Christians.
Tracey Lindberg’s novel Birdie is narratively constructed in a contorting and poetic manner yet illustrates the seriousness of violence experience by Indigenous females. The novel is about a young Cree woman Bernice Meetoos (Birdie) recalling her devasting past and visionary journey to places she has lived and the search for home and family. Lindberg captures Bernice’s internal therapeutic journey to recover from childhood traumas of incest, sexual abuse, and social dysfunctions. She also presents Bernice’s self-determination to achieve a standard of good health and well-being. The narrative presents Bernice for the most part lying in bed and reflecting on her dark life in the form of dreams.
Jamshaid Goraya Ms. Grossi NBE 3U Monday, March 20th, 2023 The Fight for Equality Comparison There are many ways in which the spoken word “Poet Calls out Justin Trudeau on Indigenous Rights” and the video “Wab Kinew 500 years in 2 minutes” differ in their tone. The spoken word “Poet Calls out Justin Trudeau on Indigenous Rights” is about a woman whose ancestral land is about to get flooded. Whereas the video “Wab Kinew 500 years in 2 minutes” is about a person who tells the audience about the history of the Indigenous people and the Queen's promise to the Cree of Bounty and Benevolence. Although “Poet Calls out Justin Trudeau on Indigenous rights” by Helen Knott and Wab Kinew 500 years in 2 minutes by Wab Kinew are different in terms of tone,
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.
Within the narrative, the author shows the significance of preserving one's Indigenous heritage while simultaneously embracing the transformative power of change. These dynamics are brought to life, showcasing the challenges and conflicts in these relationships. In one scene, the characters express their exasperation, with one remarking, “‘He’s such a tool.’ ‘Yeah. There’s always one in the family.’”
Monkey Beach is an adaptation of “Queen of the North,” both written by Eden Robinson. The texts both touch on the theme of intergenerational trauma within Indigenous communities. Through the lens of different main characters, however, Monkey Beach approaches the topic differently through its portrayal of the transmission of trauma. In “Queen of the North,” the transmission of intergenerational trauma is most clearly seen through Josh reenacting trauma onto Adelaine. In contrast, as a novel, Monkey Beach offers a more nuanced depiction of the methods of intergenerational trauma transmission, such as the loss of Lisamarie's cultural identity.
Intimacy in these novels takes on different forms and meanings, including forced intimacy, familial intimacy and intimacy with the supernatural. Forced intimacy in the form of sexual violence and assault effects many characters in Monkey Beach. Lisa is raped by her friend Cheese, Erica is followed by a van of white men yelling sexual threats against her and Karaoke is abused by Josh. As a reader, we can also assume that Josh himself has been the victim of abuse, furthermore showing the readers that there is a legacy of abuse within the community due to multiple factors including residential schools. Robinson’s novel shows the negative impacts of sexual violence in Indigenous communities within Canada.
The presence of strangers seeking refuge adds another layer of complexity to the situation, making their resilience and traditional way of life more difficult. The infiltration of the Anishinaabe community by a person like Justin Scott is a metaphor for the colonization experienced by indigenous peoples throughout history to this day. It symbolizes the invasion of their land and culture. The presence of outsiders helps us understand the Anishinaabe people's struggle to maintain their cultural identity and practices while dealing with external
Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244).
Eden Robinson’s Monkey beach is set in the small, coastal village of Kitamaat in western B.C., home to the province’s Haisla community. Robinson’s characterization of a Haisla family living in present day Kitamaat exposes the challenges that are faced by the Aboriginal people conserving their traditions, values and social mores under the dominating influence of Canada’s West Cost society. She frames these concerns by following the struggles of Lisamarie (Lisa) Hill as she reconciles the ideologies of her modern Canadian upbringing with the often-discordant beliefs of her First Nation heritage, which becomes more complicated by the experience of the supernatural appearances that only Lisa can see. Lisa’s relationship with the spirit world allows her to transgress the history of abuse and reconnect with her heritage, however, she must struggle with North American ideologies which consider the supernatural as flawed. With the help of Ma-ma-oo (Lisa’s grandmother) she begins to gain control within the spirt world, thus re-connecting with her heritage.
Institutional and historical analysis often portray the motives of governments, especially in the cases of Quebec separatism and Aboriginal mistreatment. History describes attempts at compromise to rectify the problems by altering political institutions to provide more autonomy to the provinces, witness in various accords and the methods described previously. However, in regards to Aboriginals a historical relationship of exploitation and eradication sheds on the systemic issues that Aboriginals cope with and the institutions that caused them. As scholars of Canadian politics, it is important to consider historical and institutional analyses when looking at any issue, as it reveals the underlying motives of actors in regards to the cleavages that comprise a state.
Alistair MacLeod’s collection of short stories, captioned ‘Island’, explores the traditions and family lifestyles on Cape Breton throughout the 1960’s to the 1990’s. Throughout many of the stories, MacLeod demonstrates how the surroundings of the character affects their identity. The culture and tradition of Cape Breton affect the views of the characters and the home of the characters affect who they are. It is then the family that surrounds them that affects the morals of the character and who they really are.
The indigenous people are literally crashing into the buildings produced by the colonizing culture, “Look out! Bob shouts. There are Indians flying into the skyscrapers and falling on the sidewalk.” (King 63) and it adequately represents the lack of adaptability of the Native Canadians. Thomas King taps again into the effects of colonialism and notions the indigenous people as uneducated and an untamed species.
For Cheryl, she embraces her Metis culture and heritage. “‘I wish we were whole Indians’” (40). Throughout her time at school, Cheryl reads history books about Metis people and historical figures such as Louis Riel. She would also passionately write on what she thinks about the Metis people. At university, she writes a piece which points about the crucial effects white people have brought along in North America.
