Canada's Ugly Secret

[Tuuvi]

Extinguish in that context means kill, which you just said the canadians werent trying to do.

If an ethnic group is forced to assimilate and no-one identifies as belonging to that group anymore the ethnicity ceases to exist. It's extinguished.

[Brenus]

"We followed British not Yank norms" Not sure it is really a good model:
http://www.landscapeofgrandpre.ca/de...ndash1810.html
https://youtu.be/RnpW5IVyWtU

[lars573]

As opposed to the French model? No ones colonial undertakings were clean and happy fun time for all.

[Brenus]

"As opposed to the French model?" Nope. French Colonial Past is not one to be proud of. What about to find a new approach?

You see, I was not aware of this old ethnic cleansing, really. It happened that I discovered recently Cajun and Cadian music, so with it the deportation of the French populations by the English. And from U-tube to U-tube song, I discover as, even now, the deed feeling of the French origin population run deep. They still song how the English came to burn, pillage and rape. And you can see the crowd reacting about it.
So, perhaps it is time to heal at least these old wounds.

And one of the first step is to end this claim that "our" country was a model in dealing with conquered populations, native or not...

[HopAlongBunny]

It's interesting that Canada's "ugly bits" tend to arise when we attempt to shoehorn the country into an "British" "French" or "American" colonial model.
We seem to do best when we follow the Native/Metis model of finding away to live together on the land.

[Greyblades]

I was unaware that the natives had a model beyond an affinity for sub-zero shanty towns.

[Brenus]

"We seem to do best when we follow the Native/Metis model of finding away to live together on the land." The Natives were not slaughtering each others with great enthusiasm?

[Tuuvi]

I was unaware that the natives had a model beyond an affinity for sub-zero shanty towns.

Well jeez that was racist.

"We seem to do best when we follow the Native/Metis model of finding away to live together on the land." The Natives were not slaughtering each others with great enthusiasm?

I don't think they were any more enthusiastic than anyone else...

[Kadagar_AV]

We seem to do best when we follow the Native/Metis model of finding away to live together on the land.

I'm also interested what this model was?

We have SUCH a tendency today to view colonialism as the "evil white man" conquering the "proud peaceful native" that we seem to forget that the absolute vast majority of cultures we conquered were absolutely HORRIBLE.

Sure white culture wasn't perfect, but from what I have read it most of the times was a TRUCKLOAD better than the alternatives that the natives had.

[Husar]

I'm also interested what this model was?

We have SUCH a tendency today to view colonialism as the "evil white man" conquering the "proud peaceful native" that we seem to forget that the absolute vast majority of cultures we conquered were absolutely HORRIBLE.

Sure white culture wasn't perfect, but from what I have read it most of the times was a TRUCKLOAD better than the alternatives that the natives had.

I've always rolled my eyes at the noble savage idea, but what you say just makes you sound racist, it does not change anything.
The noble white man bringing culture to the half-apes is just a racist excuse for all the slavery, oppression and murder that were committed for corporate gains.

The truth is somewhere in the middle as it often is, but you only want to polarize since you only bring up the two extreme positions.
What would have become of their cultures without colonialism is only a big what-if since that never happened. I might as well claim that we'd all be better off if Hitler had conquered the planet.

And maybe you could actually make a substantiated claim and tell us what was horrible about their cultures and why ours were better. So far I only remember you making claims without any arguments about this.

[lars573]

"As opposed to the French model?" Nope. French Colonial Past is not one to be proud of. What about to find a new approach?

You see, I was not aware of this old ethnic cleansing, really. It happened that I discovered recently Cajun and Cadian music, so with it the deportation of the French populations by the English. And from U-tube to U-tube song, I discover as, even now, the deed feeling of the French origin population run deep. They still song how the English came to burn, pillage and rape. And you can see the crowd reacting about it.
So, perhaps it is time to heal at least these old wounds.

And one of the first step is to end this claim that "our" country was a model in dealing with conquered populations, native or not...

First off it's Acadienne, and it's not like they had no hand in their ultimate fate. That's not ethnocentrism, that's I read a history book or two. The Acadians weren't removed for being French living on now British ruled land. If that were the case they'd have been gone from mainland Nova Scotia after 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht (it has a specific provision allowing them to stay). They were removed for being French people living on now British ruled land engaging in a guerrilla war against the British off and on for 40 years on behalf of the French crown. That bubbled over into major conflicts twice. The Acadian's weren't innocent bystanders, they just backed the losing side. I mean the first nations in the area (Mi'kmaq and Maliseet) saw which way the wind was blowing and came to terms with the British. It's also not like Acadians didn't just come back after the great upheaval.

It's interesting that Canada's "ugly bits" tend to arise when we attempt to shoehorn the country into an "British" "French" or "American" colonial model.
We seem to do best when we follow the Native/Metis model of finding away to live together on the land.

The Metis were related by blood and culture to the First nations though. Way easier to find common ground and establish an I'll be over here, you be over there, and we'll stay outta each others way status quo.