Unit 6 Summary

Definitions/Key Ideas

• Canada (Modern)

  • Civic nation - heavy emphasis on multiculturalism/pluralism

• Canada (Early)

  • Promoted British Protestant identity for Canada, opposed Metis self-determination

  • Campaign for exclusive immigration from British alike (Anglo-Saxon/Protestant race) - Ideal groups = Eastern European

• Early French Canada

  • 1534 - Jacques Cartier explores St. Lawrence region

  • 1604 - Samuel de Champlain founds Acadia and New France (1608)

  • Initial interest was economic (fur trade) but became colonial after the Seven Years’ War

    • Lost colonial claim over land after British defeat

• Canadian Immigration (Early)

  • Legislated against Francophone, Asian and African immigrants (eg Head Tax, Contiguous Journey Regulation)

  • Accepted Eastern European immigrants (ethnocentric/Eurocentric)

• Ethnocentric

  • Belief in superiority of one’s ethnicity

• Eurocentric

  • Belief in superiority of Europeans (White)

• Pluralism

  • Condition where 2+ groups (ethnicities, religions, etc) coexist

• Multiculturalism

  • Support/Prescence of multiple distinct groups within a society

• Bilingualism

  • Fluency in 2 languages

  • Official bilingualism: Ensured legal equality of two languages

• Cultural Mosaic vs Melting Pot

  • Mosaic - Prescence of multiple distinct cultures coming together to form a larger one while still preserving itself

  • Melting Pot - Homogenization of cultures into a larger one

• Government in Promoting Unity

  • Takes responsibility of promoting/protecting Canadian Identity

    • Department of Canadian Heritage

    • Historica Canada

  • Regulations from Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to play certain percentage of Canadian-produced media - form of cultural protectionism

• Cultural Protectionism

  • Policies that aim to protect a nation’s distinct cultural identity from the influence of other cultures

• National Symbols

  • Symbols that create a sense of belongings among Canadians

    • Official: Beaver, maple tree, hockey/lacrosse

    • Unofficial: Maple leaf, RCMP, CCRF

  • Important for civic nations → help establish national mythology (can be lacking in civic nations)

• Patriation

  • “Bringing back” of something → patriation of the constitution for full Canadian sovereignty

• Challenges to Canadian Identity

  • Intangible - based in values, legal system etc

  • Geographic - Centralized government can’t efficiently address regional concerns

  • Regional/Provincial Identities - identities forming withing regionals (eg Quebecois, Indigenous, Western Alienation)

• Time Immemorial

  • The inability to pinpoint exact dates, idea of being somewhere for as long as the land has existed.

  • Primarily applied to Indigenous nations

• Mercantilism

  • System imposed by European colonizers that prioritized buying/selling for profit

  • Quickly became exploitative during Fur Trade

• European Colonialism

  • New settlements forcing Indigenous people off of their territory → cultural extinction/extinction of groups (Beothuk)

• Treaties

  • Trade relationship between Europeans and Indigenous for land claims

  • Allowed Europeans to have legal claim over land, offered education, resources, and healthcare to indigenous as compensation

  • Not fully understood by both parties, treaties tended to favour Europeans - recorded in English and written down

• Goals of Treaties

  • European - legal title to land, settle the West, stop American expansion

  • Indigenous - cultural/spiritual protection of traditions, physical survival, peaceful relations

• Confederation

  • Becoming a sovereign nation-state

• Threats to Francophones after confederation

  • Anglophones control most finance

  • Hanging of Louis Riel

  • Conscription Crisis - conscripted francophones despite not feeling attached to Canada/Anglophones

• Alienation (Quebec)

  • Feelings of inequality/difference in primarily Anglophone country

    • Different culture, language, values, legal system etc

  • Seen as too dominant in federal/provincial relations

    • Equalization payments

    • Gov grants/programs awarded to Quebec

• Western Alienation

  • Feelings among people in western Canada (AB/SK) that the region is ignored/disadvantaged by federal government + Eastern Canada

  • Root causes

    • Economic - Caused by unequal infrastructure/investment compared to Eastern provinces, federal energy policies that hurt AB oil industry - discourage foreign investment + loss of revenue

    • Political - Underrepresented in parliament (significantly fewer seats compared to ON/QB)

    • Cultural Identity - Values not reflected in national policies

• Equalization Payments

  • Effort by government to reduce disparities between regionals

    • Evaluates strength of provincial economies, pays Eq payments to weaker economy provinces

    • Upsets AB because money produced by oil etc goes to other provinces rather than selling oil/gas to make more money

• Reform Party

  • Right-wing, populist, Western political protest movement, formed official opposition in 1997

  • “West Wants In” - AB felt alienated and unrepresented in Ottawa

  • Merged with Conservative Party

• Other political parties for separation

  • Maverick Party (Wexit Canada)

  • Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta

• Effects of Western Alienation

  • Puts national unity at risk - challenges unity in Canadian identity

  • Highlights tensions between regionalism/federalism - conflict between provincial and federal authority

  • Influences political movements/fuels Western-based political parties

Key Legislation/Government things

• Quebec Act 1774

  • Bill to protect some religious and language rights of Francophones - felt like 2nd-class citizens (unequal rights to Anglophones), wasn’t enough to keep happy

  • Changed in 1791 after American Rev

• Act of the Union

  • Union of Upper and Lower Canada (become Canada East, Canada West)

  • Each region has same number of representatives despite heavier population in Canada East (Francophone territory)

• Canada First Movement 1868

  • Movement to promote British/Protestant identity being central to Canadian identity

  • Campaigned for exclusive British immigration to harness economic potential

  • Influenced domestic policy for period of time (eg with Immigration Act)

• Immigration Act 1976

  • Changes to Canadian immigration system - reflect agreement to UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

  • Clearly legislated immigration goals

  • Placed emphasis on economic/family class immigrants

  • Post-1976 reflected Pierre Trudeau’s emphasis on multiculturalism

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (CCRF) 1982

  • Included in the patriation of the constitution to protect basic rights of Canadians/residents of Canada

• Confederation 1867

  • British North America Act makes Canada an official country

  • 4 provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario

    • Manitoba in 1870 as mostly Metis province, government took issue with this and systematically forced Indigenous people further West

• Indian Act 1885

  • Laws that determined “Indian Status” - rights of Indigenous people, funding, land. Became gradually more restrictive

  • 1914 - Restrictions to traditional clothing

  • 1918 - All uncultivated land will go to Europeans willing to cultivate the land

  • 1927 - Illegal to use funds/give funds for legal cases on land claims

  • Residential School

• White Paper 1969

  • Paper that suggested the government ended all treaty obligations so that first Nations would “catch up” with rest of society

  • Proposed by Pierre Trudeau/Jean Chretien who thought Indian Status prevented integration into mainstream society

  • Not accepted by First Nations

• Red Paper 1970

  • First Nations outline objections to White Paper

    • Legislative rights maintained

    • FN should determine their own futures

  • Created by National Indian Brotherhood → Assembly of First Nations

• Bill 101 1977

  • Charter of French Languages passed, established French as only official language in Quebec

  • Restricted rights of Anglophones in Quebec, highly challenged

  • Caused major corporations to relocate out of Quebec

• Official Languages act 1969

  • 1963 poll finds Francophones/Quebecois not treated equally, don’t have same services in French

  • Pierre Trudeau passes Official Languages Act in attempts to promote French throughout the country

  • Officially bilingual country

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission 2015

  • Proposed 94 Calls to Action → list of things to be met in order for Canadians to reconcile with FN for past traumas

  • Made nation-to-nation → FN acting as recognized nation within Canada

Key Events

• 1990 - Kanesatake Resistance (Mohawk Resistance, Oka Crisis)

  • Standoff between Mohawk and Quebec government/RCMP/army over traditional burial grounds

  • Land purchased by federal government but not transferred to Mohawk

• 1970 - October crisis

  • Series of terrorist attacks by Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ) for independence movement

  • Kidnapping of British trade commissioner James Cross, Quebec Minister of Immigration, Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte

  • Quebec Premier + Montreal Mayor call for federal help → Pierre Trudeau uses War Measures Act

    • Only time implemented during global peace in history till recently

• 1980 - Quebec Separation referendum 1

  • 40% support

• 1995 - Quebec Separation referendum 2

  • 49% support