identity. people use various things to identify themselves eg color of hair gender race style...
TRANSCRIPT
Identity
People use various things to identify themselvesEG
Color of hair Gender Race Style of clothing Teams they are on Entertainment preferences (cowboy music or rap) …
Is being Canadian a part of your identity – what is a Canadian
Stereotypes: Lumberjack, fur trader, igloo, eat blubber, ride dog sled
Don’t know Jimmy, Sally or Suzie (small population)
Explaining our differences: PM instead of President, bilingual (not American = British spelling/pronunciation - zed), peacekeepers vs policing, diversity vs assimilation Pronouncing about
Proudly sew flag (world likes Canadians)
Beaver
Explaining Canadian terms: toque, chesterfield
Describing us: 2nd largest landmass, first nation of hockey, the best part of North America
“Thank you” (polite)
What is a Canadian?
Symbols of other nations
National IdentityKey Features of Canadian Identity
GeographyNorthern location, next to US2nd largest country
Natural ResourcesWealthy, don’t depend on others
Society urban, modern
Cultural make-up Bilingual, multicultural
World PositionMiddle power, peacekeeper
The Canadian National AnthemWhat images/symbols are there in our national
anthem – how does it compare to other anthems like the French or American?
“We Are the Beaver”
The US is the eagle, Russia is the bear,Australia is the kangaroo, cause they're kind of weird down there.Yeah, India is the tiger, that stands so proud and tall,But Canada is the greatest of them all.
We are the beaver, we're furry and we're freeYeah, we are the beaver, we got two big front teethYeah, we are the beaver, we can chew right through small treesWe are the beaver.
You might think a rodent is a pretty lame choiceFor a national animal, but don't you listen to that voice.No, cause all them birds and predators, just take from the landBut the beaver, always gives a dam.
We are the beaver, we got cute little webbed feetYeah, we are the beaver, it's bark we like to eatYeah, we are the beaver, a nickel we complete..
The eagle flies the sky above and swoops down on its preyThe big bear will maul anyone who dares gets in its wayThe tiger is the greatest of the hunters today.But the beaver it can build dams. Yeah,The beaver it can build dams.
We are the beaver, we slap our tails when danger is nearby.We are the beaver, we got waterproof hides.Yeah, we are the beaver, we got big bums and beady eyes.We are the beaver, we are the beaver, we are the beaver.
We are the beaver, our name is often used as a double-entendre We are the beaver, cause in Canada both French and English belongYeah, we are the beaver, and the subject of this song We are the beaver, we are the beaver, we are the beaver.
Canadian Symbolism on Money
Institutions like the Bank of Canada and the Canadian Mint celebrate the symbols of Canada
• Wilfred Laurier • West Block of
Parliament
• Winter sports and famous Canadian hockey story
Bank of Canada Symbolism
John A. Macdonald
Library of Parliament
Canada’s military history including peacekeeping and Vimy Memorial
Head of State – Queen
Center Block of Parliament
Pacific First Nations imagery
• Mackenzie King• Parliamentary Clock
Tower
• Focus on human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Famous Five
• Robert Borden• East Block
Parliamentary Offices
• Themes of Canadian exploration in the past (canoe) and today (satellite)
Myths Defining Canadian Identity
Myths are common tales or beliefs that we hold true as Canadians – often they are stereotypes held by Canadian and other countries (they often have a piece of truth – think about the stories that are often told at family gatherings and how they change over time.
‘Rugged Canadian’Frontier Spirit Conquering the unknown
Canadians are ‘Peacekeepers’
Myth that we are anti-war and providers of peace, always involved in UN peacekeeping
Lately, we have moved away from peacekeeping - Afghanistan is a combat operation
Canada played an important role early on through Lester Pearson
Canada as an ‘inclusive’ nation
•We pride ourselves on welcoming all outsiders •Prejudice against Chinese immigrants •Japanese Internment •Refusal of Jewish refugees •Preference of immigrants from Northern European countries until the 1960’s
What creates our identity – a shared history?
Establishing Canada pg 73 - 78
London Conference 1866-67 drafted British North American Act
Expo song—can’t resist http://archives.cbc.ca/society/celebrations/topics/100-531/ 2010 Olympic Song video
War of 1812
Looking Back
WAR 1812
We beat the USA!
Sort of
Arrogant Worms
RMR – War 1812RMR – War 1812 also
Louis Lafontaine (Francophone) and Robert Baldwin (Anglophone) cooperate with each other to create better democracy in Canada Union of Upper and Lower Canada – the first
representative government in Canada
Confederation (BNA Act) – 1867- “The Dominion of Canada” - Prime Minister John A. Macdonald - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Ontario, Quebec
How many Canadians know these details??
Confederation of Canada
Canadian Railway
CPR establishes the Canadian Railway across the continent
Loyalists Landing - 1873
What about geography?
Part of our identity is being the second largest country in the world, with a harsh climate
But how is our geography a force that divides our nation-state into different nations?
BIG country
2nd largest in world
Cold…we’re hearty
Canada weather – 22 min
WWI – Vimy Ridge
Two possible reasons World War I intensified Canadian nationalism:
1) Pride in Canada’s accomplishments on the battlefield promoted Canadian patriotism
2) Canadians reacted to the sheer slaughter on the Western Front by adopting an increasingly anti-British attitude
Canada Day
Canada adopts own flag in December 1964
flag debate
Dominion Day
Charter of Rights and Freedoms & Canadian Constitution
Fundamental Freedoms
Legal, mobility, democratic, and equality rights
Collective rights
‘Patriation' of the constitution
“In the psychological sense, there is no Canadian nation as there is an American or French nation. There is a
legal and geographic entity, but the nation does not exist. For there are no objects that
all Canadians share as objects of national feeling.”
(Charles Hanley)
Canada as a Civic Nation
Things Americans have noticed about us:
A few interesting facts Canada has more donut shops per capita than the United States does. Canadians consume more Kraft Dinner (aka Kraft Macaroni & Cheese) per capita
than any other nationality on earth. The CBC's evening news anchor is bald and doesn't wear a toupee. Contests run by anyone other than the government have "skill-testing
questions" that winners must answer correctly before they can claim a prize. These are usually math problems, and are administered to get around the law that only the government can administer lotteries.
The big mass-market beers are Molson and Labatt, and they're stronger than US beers. The major cigarette labels are milder than American ones.
There are billboards advertising vacations in Cuba, and Cuban cigars are freely available.
Nobody worries about losing a life's savings or a home because of illness. Teenagers can drink legally. The drinking age in Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta
is 18; it's 19 in the rest of the country. Potato chips come in flavo(u)rs such as salt and vinegar, ketchup, and "all
dressed" Cars (especially on the Prairies) have electrical plugs sticking out from under
the hoods. These are for block heaters, to prevent engines from freezing when it's -40.
People give distances in times, not miles. People ask whether you'd like "a coffee" rather than "some coffee."
Canadian language arena - An ice rink with seats around it. Could be any enclosed area with
seats for viewing surrounding it, but the implication is that it's primarily for hockey.
arse, bum - One's hind quarters. "He kicked me in the bum." bag - versus "sack," especially in US midwest beater - An old beat-up car. Central Canada - Refers to southern Ontario, actually 1300 miles east of
the centre of Canada. But in their minds... The West - Refers to any point from Manitoba (actual centre of Canada)
west to the Pacific Ocean. chesterfield - A couch, or sofa, or whatever you call it where you are. corner store – convenience store, usually on a corner in a residential
neighbourhood of a city. deke - To move quickly DUI - Driving under the influence; same as DWI, although limits in Canada
are 0.08 vs. 0.1 in US eavestrough - A gutter, the sort that is attached to houses and funnels rain
water down a pipe. elastic - rubber band go missing - to disappear, become misplaced Grade Oner, Twoers, Threers… - First, Second, Third…Grader holiday - A vacation or a trip. Also used in the American sense, meaning a
day off work or school. housecoat - robe, bathrobe
keener - Someone very eager and enthusiastic. Sometimes in the sense of brown-noser, suckup
klick - Kilometer, or kilometer per hour. lineup - line. pencil crayons – colored pencilsRobertson screws - Screws with a square hole rather than a
straight or X-shaped one. Robertson screws are just about impossible to strip, unlike Phillips-head. They'd be popular in the States except that Henry Ford wanted exclusive rights to them, and Robertson refused to sell.
runners - sneakers, running shoes second-last - Next to lastski-doo - Generic term for snowmobile. snowbird - Canadian who flees to southern United States
(usually Florida) for some/all winter. tea towel - dish toweltoque - Rhymes with "kook." A kind of hat, everywhere in
wintertime. track pants - sweat pantswashroom - bathroom
Food back bacon - Canadian bacon. Sometimes rolled in peameal (like cornmeal,
but from peas). butter tart - A very small (single-serving) pie. They taste like pecan pies
without the pecans. chocolate bar - Candy bar. Popular Canadian brands include Aero, Crispy
Crunch, Crunchie, Coffee Crisp, Caramilk, Bounty. Mars Bars have darker chocolate and no nuts. Other Canadian candies include Smarties (imagine very sweet M&Ms in brightly colored boxes, not the sweet-tart chalky things), Mackintosh toffee.
homo milk - Homogenized milk. Known in the States as whole milk. Nobody here thinks twice about what images milk cartons with the word "HOMO" in big letters on the side conjure up in the minds of Americans
Nanaimo bar - A confection, named for the town of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, that resembles a brownie but is topped with a layer of white butter cream icing and another of solid chocolate.
pop - soda. poutine (pron. poo-TEEN) Quebecois specialty. French fries covered in cheese
curds and gravy. Rockets – Smarties; small, chalky candies packaged in rolls wrapped in clear
plastic. Smarties - a candy resembling M&Ms. They do melt in your hand, and
they're a lot sweeter. Shreddies - A brand of breakfast cereal, vaguely resembling Chex. Timbits - Do(ugh)nut holes from Tim Horton's.
Organizations that Promote Canadian Nationalism
Hudson’s Bay Company
British Royal Charter - 1670
Oldest Corporation in North America
Fur traders, Rupertsland
Sold land to create the NWT
CBC: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Programming (unique from American stations)
Formed by the Canadian government to protect and expand Canadian cultural identity
Hockey Night in CanadaDragons’ Den, Heartland etc. Road to Avonlea, Corner Gas, Little
Mosque on the Prairie22 Minutes, Rick mercer, SCTV,
Kids in the Hall 2
CRTC
MuseumsNational History Museum
National Art Gallery
Museum of Civilizations
Glenbow Museum
Military Museums
Air Canada
Formed to foster development of air travel in Canada (modernization)
Formerly a Crown corporation - now publically owned
Need for easy communication and transit across a giant nation-state
Notice the symbolism on the plane and the logo……
RCMP – Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Founded to bring order to the west (NWMP)
Scarlet Uniforms and Stetsons are recognized the world over as Canadian
Musical Ride
Assignment: Creating a Coat of ArmsCBC News in Review – 2010 New Governor
General Coat of Arms