5.3.1 Shaping Canada's National Identity
Completion requirements
5.3.1 Shaping Canada's National Identity
Should individuals and groups in Canada embrace a national identity?
Big Ideas:
- Explore multiple perspectives on national identity in Canada.
- Identify historical perspectives of Canada as a nation.
In Unit 4, you learned about Canada's participation in World War II and the impact it had on Canada's identity from its entry into the war apart from Britain, and actions that united Canadians in the war effort. Canada's national
identity has been shaped by a variety of factors arising from its history and geography; the vast size and diverse geography of Canada are important factors in forming our national identity. Just as your parents have passed on to you
characteristics that help shape your identity, so too has Canada's identity been shaped by its history.
© Thinkstock
One of the multiple perspectives on Canada's national identity that Canadians often forget is that the Indigenous people of North America have occupied the land for a very long time, making them key components of Canada's national identity. Scientists propose that during the Ice Age, ocean levels dropped and a large land mass (called Beringia) that connected North America with Asian Russia was exposed, allowing groups to follow migrating herds of animals such as mammoth, giant deer, and early horses.
Over time, the groups spread through the Western Hemisphere. Although there are no written records indicating the time at which this occurred, archaeologists have found evidence of occupation that suggests at least 20,000 years ago.
The Aboriginal people also have an oral history that describes how they were put here by a guiding spirit figure, such as the Raven, to inhabit the land. See the links below for their history in the form of stories.
At that time there was no fire to be seen. They did not even know of it. Raven went northward on the surface of the sea. Far out at sea a big kelp was growing out of the water, but the kelp head was gone, and many sparks came out of it.
This was the first time that Raven had ever seen fire.
Then Raven went along to it on the bottom of the sea. Then the big fishes—the Black Whales, and the Dolphins, and others—wanted to kill him as he went along. Owner-of-the-Fire was the one to whom he went.
When Raven entered his house, Owner-of-the-Fire said to him, “Come and sit here, chief.” Raven said, to him, “Will the chief give me fire?”
Owner-of-the-Fire gave fire to Raven, as he had been desired, and when he gave it to him, he put it in a stone tray. A cover was over it.
Raven went away with it. After he had gone up to the shore, Raven put a fragment of live coal into a cedar standing there. Because he put fire into the cedar, when people want to start a fire they use a drill of cedar, because fire comes from it.
Then Raven went along to it on the bottom of the sea. Then the big fishes—the Black Whales, and the Dolphins, and others—wanted to kill him as he went along. Owner-of-the-Fire was the one to whom he went.
When Raven entered his house, Owner-of-the-Fire said to him, “Come and sit here, chief.” Raven said, to him, “Will the chief give me fire?”
Owner-of-the-Fire gave fire to Raven, as he had been desired, and when he gave it to him, he put it in a stone tray. A cover was over it.
Raven went away with it. After he had gone up to the shore, Raven put a fragment of live coal into a cedar standing there. Because he put fire into the cedar, when people want to start a fire they use a drill of cedar, because fire comes from it.
Katharine Berry Judson, Myths and Legends of British North America, 1917. Public Domain
Raven carving, from an unknown Haida artist
Public Domain
Long ago there was a time when water covered the entire world. Napi the creator wanted to know what happened below all of this water. He sent a duck, an otter, then a badger, but all came up with nothing. Finally, a muskrat dove beneath the water and
was down a very long time. He returned with a ball of mud in his paws. Napi took the lump and blew on it until it dried and was transformed into the earth. He molded the hills, valleys, and mountains with his hands. He created groves in the
earth for rivers and lakes.
The first people were molded from this earth, and Napi taught men and women how to hunt and to live. Once Napi felt his work was complete, he climbed up to a mountain peak and disappeared. Feel free to view a visual representation of the origin story here.
The first people were molded from this earth, and Napi taught men and women how to hunt and to live. Once Napi felt his work was complete, he climbed up to a mountain peak and disappeared. Feel free to view a visual representation of the origin story here.
R.D. Francis, R. Jones, D.B. Smith. Origins Canadian History to Confederation.
Toronto: Harcourt Brace. 3rd edition. 1996.
Toronto: Harcourt Brace. 3rd edition. 1996.
Although neither the scientists' theory nor the Aboriginal oral histories can be proved, as the big game disappeared and the climate changed, so too did the Indigenous culture. New groups developed as they adapted to live in their changing
environments. Each group created a distinctive way of life to match the conditions. Much later, the union of Aboriginal people with Europeans produced a new distinctive group called the MĂ©tis. This group has a distinctive blend of European
and Aboriginal ways of life that combines elements of both cultures into a unique culture.
© Thinkstock
In addition to the Aboriginal people in Canada, it can be said that Canada is a country of immigrants because of its large diversity of ethno-cultural groups.
At various times in its history, Canada has experienced large waves of immigration (usually as a result of events elsewhere in the world or because of growth projects in Canada). For instance, French settlement (in New France-see map right) in Canada began as a result of the growth of trade efforts of new European powers.
At first, trade interests were the highest priorities. But eventually, as more settlers arrived, they began to adapt and create a distinctive way of life within North America. For example, United Empire Loyalists came to Quebec and Nova Scotia after the American Revolution.
©Thinkstock
During the
Industrial Revolution, many Scottish people (who were displaced from their villages and farms by landlords through the Highland Clearances) immigrated
to Canada, followed later by Irish people fleeing the Potato Famine. Later, the building
of the Canadian Pacific Railway (from 1881 to 1885), attracted many workers, including 15 000 Chinese labourers.
Upon the completion of the railroad, the Canadian West was opened for settlement, which caused then-Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier to recruit Europeans aggressively to immigrate to the West as part of his vision of Canadian growth.
The efforts of Laurier's government brought large groups of people from eastern Europe, especially from the Ukraine. Another world event that saw a rapid growth of new arrivals in Canada occurred after World War II, when people fled war-torn Europe after 1945 to rebuild their lives in a peaceful and prosperous country.
Upon the completion of the railroad, the Canadian West was opened for settlement, which caused then-Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier to recruit Europeans aggressively to immigrate to the West as part of his vision of Canadian growth.
The efforts of Laurier's government brought large groups of people from eastern Europe, especially from the Ukraine. Another world event that saw a rapid growth of new arrivals in Canada occurred after World War II, when people fled war-torn Europe after 1945 to rebuild their lives in a peaceful and prosperous country.
New arrivals in Customs Pedway 8 (1963)
Copyright permission granted Pier21
Together with the Indigenous peoples, all of these groups (and more) continue to work to create a Canadian identity within the pluralistic framework of society. As new experiences and new relationships occur, our national identity continues to be reshaped.
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Go to your textbook, Understanding Nationalism, read pages 292 to 295 and take notes. These pages will
help you deepen your understanding of the historical perspectives of Canada and help you explore multiple perspectives on national identity in Canada.
Review the tutorial How to Take Notes if needed. |