RACIAL FORMATION AND COLONIAL MYTHMAKING
Colonial Mythmaking Three dominant discourses that shape our colonial landscape: 1) The Myth of Race 2) The Myth of Canadian State Benevolence 3) The Myth of Meritocracy (pp. 12-16)
§ These three myth work together to make white dominance and Indigenous oppression seem normal. § Normalization occurs when dominant national narratives, symbols and practices are widely recognizable, accepted as ‘truth’ and legitimized by institutions. § These myths shape relations of power between individuals and groups.
The Myth of Race § The Myth of Race has been imposed upon this continent through various mechanisms. § One Example is the racist Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius. § These Papal Bulls stated that any lands discovered that were non-Christian would be considered Terra Nullius or “Empty Lands”
The Myth of Race § The Doctrine of Discovery marked Indigenous people as non-human, or part of the flora and fauna. § This justified the theft of lands, violation of rights and genocide of Indigenous people. § These Papal Bulls have played a central role in entrenching colonialism in international laws.
§ The Canadian State operates under the racist Doctrine of Discovery – perpetuating the idea that the state has jurisdiction over Indigenous territories. § Many groups such as Idle No More and Defenders of the Land have called for the repeal of the Doctrine of Discovery.
Canadian photography, art and film reflect the white settler fantasy of empty land, thereby silencing the violence of colonization and erasing the presence of millions of Indigenous peoples.
The discourse of “empty lands” works to position white settlers as the original inhabitants of the land. Canadians are socialized to believe that the land belongs to white settlers (first and foremost).
These narratives have been consistent throughout Canadian history, and reveal an account of who and what the nation imagines itself to be.
In Canadian historiography, the narrative of “empty land” upholds the Myth of Canadian Benevolence - a national essence of “goodness and innocence”.
How might the discourses from the Doctrine of Discovery continue to influence the ways in which Canadians think about land, nationhood and racial identity?
Group of Seven
Indigenous Resistance and Agency § Many Indigenous individuals and groups have worked to resist the impact of the Doctrine of Discovery and stop the erasure of Indigenous Peoples from Canadian social and institutional spaces. § This work is a significant intervention into Indigenous erasure and an assertion of Indigenous life, nationhood and sovereignty.
Artist: Kent Monkman
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Nishiyuu Walkers http://nishiyuujourney.ca/
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