The fact that over 50 per cent of the residents of Toronto are not from Canada, that is always a good thing, creatively, and for food especially. That is easily a city’s biggest strength, and it is Toronto’s unique strength.
– Anthony Bourdain
How does power alter relationships?
What is our identity?
Canada’s history is rich in culture and conflict. As I have traversed the year it had become very clear to me that even though Canada may have a peaceful persona we are hardly the angels that many say we are. You don’t have to look hard to see our faults. Reconciliation and refugee crisis’s are 2 problems that seem to get all the attention. However, it is the problems that aren’t reported are the ones that are truly the darkest of our past and are the ones that we must learn and understand if we are to live as responsible citizens of not only Canada but citizens of the world. If we are to come to terms with our past sins we must look to the future as the growing generations to be aware of the social situations of the changes times.
Our beautiful nation took many years build and the journey to confederation is a story inside it self. The road west was even more treacherous journey as the many settlers. The road west includes a broad range of topics that include the caribou gold rush to the Metis rebellions. The road west was full of the darkest times in Canadian history as we still struggle with the recuperations of those dark times of our history today. When you look back at all the awful abuses of power on the read to the colonization of the northwest you must keep in mind the different times that these events took.
It doesn’t take much to see some of the atrocities of the of our ancestors. I find one great example of the injustice that many faced in the birth of Canada are the story of the Beothuk People. One of my classmates studied the subject
The story of the Beothuk People is symbolic of the struggle to be found for many of the native groups on the north american continent. It is easy to forget about all the people that the land belonged to in the first place, and it is important to respect those that held the land prior to us. This couldn’t be more true when it came to the history of these people. We cannot change the past but we can look to the future we can be the change in many of the decisions that many people were at the mercy of.
Another good example of this could be Douglas treaties. As the Tsliel Watuth people singed them it was yet another example of power disparities that control relationships. A classmate of mine studied these events and conveniently created a video for the events
These are just some examples of the many struggles of aboriginal peoples. However, saying your sorry and giving aid aren’t enough. We must rethink our approach at bringing back the aboriginal culture. Economic incentives are just one example of a stepping stone for the aboriginal people to bring value into the economy and in turn returning power into a more balanced state between the government and the aboriginal peoples. It is important to remember that to have a power balanced relationship we must begin to create an environment in which the indigenous peoples can live in a world with equal opportunity as the colonizers. All people have different ideas for the ways to solve these problems but we all must understand doing nothing is unacceptable but handouts will only be worse off for the community’s because it keeps that power disparity that has ruined the lives of many people.
As the up and coming generation we must accept the fact that we must answer to the mistakes of our ancestors. In a world of social justice where the minorities and those with less power can’t be walked over like they have been over the course of human history. As I take you through a journey through the stories of the numbered treaties.
I only ask that you make your own conclusions and your own opinions. As much as the days of oppression are over the dawn of free thought is only showing its first sings of light.
Over the years the Aboriginal peoples had been abused by the English settlers. Their vastly different ideas and ideals for land usage created a situation where the First Nations people were abused. The whole situation of settlement was ultimately set up to destroy the First Nation peoples. The way of life of the Europeans was much more suited to development and superior technology.
These advantages stifled the longer term approach that the first nation peoples had. It is important to note that the European lifestyle was dominant compared to the First Nation lifestyle. The European way was by nature dominant and when they put their ways of life on the north American continent the First Nation peoples had little to no power in stopping their efforts. A prime example of this would be the diminishing population of bison in the Canada northwest. This was a product of the European influence in the region and it had a profound impact with all the local first nations groups. This lack of resources created an additional pressure that played even more into the powerful role that the settlers had over the First Nation people.
Its 1876 and the ink is drying on treaty 6, but the fate of the many first nations groups has already been sealed. The many years of peaceful winds that flowed across the prairies have disappeared with the bison. The smell of death has transcended the grasslands and has entered the communities of First Nations and settlers alike. As the dire situation on the prairies got even worse, the treaty becomes the only viable option, a desperate last option. It is only a matter of time until death engulfs the Native population.
Story’s like these have been all across the prairies in the late 1800’s. A large number of First Nation’s leaders opposed the treaty’s as it made advances to help assimilate their culture. However, the negotiation position for the aboriginal leadership was extremely weak. The struggle in many aboriginal communities were very real. Many traditional practices were no longer possible. The lack of Bison was biggest problem for the many tribes along the fertile soil of the prairies. Today the Bison hunt is glorified to a large extent to be a major recreational for the many First Nation peoples. Unfortunately, the Bison hunt was far from the recreational activity that many think it do be today. The Bison hunt was an essential source of a number of resources for all the tribes that resided on the prairies.
The First Nation people were in no position to bargain for much. In addition to losing a large portion of their territory they also conceded a number of rights, and were forced into participating in a larger goal to assimilate the “First Nation culture”. Many chiefs of first nations groups new of the imminent plan to destroy their culture and many tried to fight back. Many in leadership refused to sign the treaties at first, a well-known example of this was the chief named Poundmaker. He refused to sign treaty 6 because of concerns about the degradation of his culture. In the end, Poundmaker was forced to sign the treaty in fears of the future of their people.
“take the Indian out of the child”
“When the school is on the reserve, the child lives with its parents, who are savages, and though he may learn to read and write, his habits and training mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write. It has been strongly impressed upon myself, as head of the Department, that Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.”
-John A. Macdonald 1879
The terms and concepts that John A speaks of in this quote is truly insane. It shows the true fears of the many First Nations chiefs to be very well placed.
The Canadian government plan was simple and as the many years passed since the treaties were signed and the effect of the assimilation plan is a mess. The First Nation communities are stark in comparison to what they once were. Some of the worst dreams of many First Nation’s chiefs have become true over the years since the ink dried. From the time those treaties were signed First Nation communities were slowly but surely destroyed at a culturally level.
Above is the story of the numbered treaties, just a glimpse into a time of turmoil. This story was what I was tasked with creating. I had to put that story into a short animation that tells a story in fashion that intriguing and interesting to listen to.
We began with researching our topics. I continued to study the events that took place around the number treaties and how they made a lasting impact on the world today. Bridging the gap between the past and its impact on the world is key when creating these videos to ensure that they remain relevant. After compiling a large amount of research; enough that I could tell my topic inside and out I was ready to put my research into a plan. The majority of people used a storyboard to plan but I found myself using a much different medium for brainstorming and planning.
After creating this plan it was time to begin drafting. To create my animation I chose to use keynote magic move. Keynote magic move has potential to create a very crisp animation especially when coupled with audio that is powerful. If used correctly it can be used to tell story very powerfully.
Above is an example of when keynote magic move is used well. When creating my animation I hoped to even come close to the quality of my video can come close to parallel this one. As we were on our way to create 3 different drafts we had a number of opportunities for feedback to help improve my product.
As I made my product I wanted to ensure that my video projected the vibe that I wanted. I accomplished this by using minor chord music as well as a dramatic voice. These to factors allowed me to project the exact emotion that I wanted the viewer to be feeling during the video. As I prepared draft 3 this would be the one I shared to the class in a presentation setting.
I got feedback on that for any last minor tweaks before I do my final draft. My final draft would hope to be interesting, suspenseful and most importantly informative. I made an adjustment to the audio and uploaded my final project.
Looking back I can see a number of different avenues I could have pursued especially in terms of animation. I am extremely proud of my script and overall vibe of my video. I wish I could have made a better animation but at the moment I couldn’t see how I could accomplish a better animation without a complete redo. Overall, I am very proud of the vibe of my video and I think it balances information with a story that is comprehendible and interesting for the viewer.
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“In a little while it will be over. We may fail. But the rights for which we contend will not die.”
-Louis Riel
Through the unit we studied Louis Riel through a graphic novel written by Chester Brown. The book combines real information and readability to keep the reader engaged.
As the saying goes a picture tells a thousand words and a graphic novel is an example of how informal literature can tell just as much as conventional literary devices. Graphic novels are less complex and deep as a novel however where they lose complexity they gain in readability. For the average civilian a graphic novel is one of the most powerful ways to present information. Pictures can explain one scene in just milliseconds where if words were used it would take minutes. The pictures may not be able to delve deep into the intricacies of the events but the information is still powerful. A good example of how powerful an image can be, just look at the final scene in which Louis was hung. It shows the true power of image and how it can emotionally connect with the reader While he sat there awaiting his fate as he contemplates his legacy and how it will bring change to a community that holds so dear. The graphic novel only shows an emotionless face however, your mind brings life to characters and gives Riel a living, breathing face. This face is different for everyone but it all is representation of the opinions of the reader. The reader is the one who decides how the book is perceived. It’s a concept that a novel simply couldn’t compete with. That being said it easy to notice how the views of history could be skewed by ones preconceived notions of the events that transpired. I believe that a balanced representation of history is key to understanding and learning from the past. A combination of real facts and avenues for the learner to put their own ideas onto history. This will provide the learner the ability to put their own thoughts on the past while still remaining constant to the true facts of the situation.
It is important especially when writing a comic to keep the story very short and compact. It is essential that all less important information is left out to make sure that the reader isn’t bogged down by useless information. An example of this could be when the author left out the minor details of the original confrontation between the surveyors and the Metis. There is no need to go spend an extra page on a couple useless facts that no one will ever remember in the long run of the book. That being said it is important to be factually correct and to display the important info. An example of this could be the scene in which Louis Riel is trailed and convicted of treason. This scene had to be as factually correct as possible due to its profound implications to the story of Louis Riel and for all Metis. Overall, it is important to find balance between too much information and not enough. This book did fairly well at balancing the two options and using them when necessary.
How do we remember Louis Riel? Is he a hero or a villain?
Many see him on polarizing scales of the spectrum, from hero to villain. Many will disagree on what he did but all will agree what he did got the attention of the people he needed to advocate to. Whether his efforts in the end were valuable to the cause of the Metis or not is still up for question what isn’t is his drive to fight to secure the rights of the many Metis Canadians. In my opinion Louis Riel is much less the leader that he is portrayed to be in the many stories that are told about him. Rather, he was a much quieter leader that was painted by the Canadian government to be the “de facto” leader of the Metis. As the time has passed he has become blown up into this mystical leader that represents all of the actions of the Metis people. That isn’t to discount his incredible leaps of leadership but more to put in perspective that he wasn’t the simply incredible man that every thought he is.
So what can we do? How do we look back at ourselves critically?
Today we wrestle with the many issues of our past but we must remember that we cannot control what our ancestors did to abuse their power with the indigenous population. It is up to the next generation to effect change and bring change to the communities that surround us. It is up to us to uphold the respect that these amazing cultures deserve. It should be our goal to start the healing process between our peoples and begin to accept our abusive behaviours and actions of our pasts. We must begin to start the long process where we relearn how to share, how to understand each other, and most of all how we can grow and develop as a culturally diverse nation.
