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Daily Archives: July 1, 2021

July 1st: Confederation

01 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by michelinewalker in Canadian History, Confederation, Indigenous People, Quebec history

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Benjamin West, Cecil Rhodes, Imperialism, Indian Act of 1876, Indian Reserves, Manifest Destiny, Pensionnats, Residential Schools

Amérindien et Habitant (ameriquefrancaise.org)

—ooo—

the remains of 182 children…

The remains of 182 children have been found in British Columbia. The school was a Catholic Residential School. A total of 1,148 bodies have been found during the month of June.

This is the message I received:

J’ai pensé que vous seriez intéressé par cet article que j’ai trouvé sur MSN : Une autre communauté autochtone de C.-B. dit avoir découvert des restes humains (http://a.msn.com/01/fr-ca/AALCWls?ocid=se)

I added a Conclusion to my last post. It reads:

“The native depicted in the image at the top of this post does not look powerless. As for Benjamin West’s native, he is a ‘Noble savage.’ Did Canada need the Indian Act? Canada Day, a celebration of Confederation, is fast approaching. But Confederation led to the creation of Indian Reserves and Residential Schools. Moreover, Quebec became the only Canadian province where the language of instruction could be French or English. The British Empire was at its zenith.”

Imperialism is very much to blame. Cecil Rhodes wanted to paint the world red, the colour of the British Empire. So, I suspect the architects of Confederation also wished to paint Canada red. Besides, they feared Manifest Destiny, an American form of imperialism. Manifest Destiny alone invited the federation of Canadian provinces and the purchase of Rupert’s Land. Unfortunately, unity dictated uniformity. To this end, Amerindians were to be stripped of their identity. The events that followed Confederation were brutal and genocidal. The French could not leave Quebec. Why?

The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West, 1770
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Conclusion

I suspect more bodies will be found. However, the comforting thought is that other Canadians will help pull Amerindians out of this nightmare. They are in schock, but so are other Canadians. As you know, I have Amerindian ancestry. In the early years of New France’s history, its motherland was slow in sending women across the Atlantic. “Survival” is the keyword in Canadian literature, in both French and English. Margaret Atwood‘s book, entitled Survival (1972), is insightful and it has remained popular and informative reading.

We are returning to Les Anciens Canadiens where the myth of the Noble savage is well and alive. We will read The Good Gentleman, Chapter IX, Le Bon Gentilhomme, Chapitre X. In Les Anciens Canadiens, monsieur d’Egmont depicts Amerindians as more civilized than the white.

RELATED ARTICLES

  • La Saint-Jean-Baptiste & Canada Day (6 July 2015)
  • Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie, baron de Saint-Castin (11 Septembre 2011)
  • Canada’s Residential Schools (26 June 2021)
  • Alexis de Tocqueville & John Neilson: a Conversation, 27 August 1831 (13 May 2021)
  • Canadiana.1 (page)
  • Canadiana.2 (page)

Sources and Resources

Les Anciens Canadiens (ebooksgratuits.com). FR
Cameron of Lochiel (Archive.org ), Sir Charles G. D. Roberts, translator. EN
Cameron of Lochiel is Gutenberg [EBook#53154], Sir Charles G. D. Roberts, translator. EN
Une Colonie féodale en Amérique: l’Acadie 1604 – 17 (Rameau, Google Books)

Love to everyone 💕

Residential Schools (TRC means Truth and Reconciliation Commission)

Cecil Rhodes and the Cape-Cairo railway project. Rhodes aimed to “paint the map red” (red representing the British Empire).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

© Micheline Walker
30 June 2021
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