To many Canadians, the relationship
between the country they call home and the indigenous peoples goes something
like this: “White Europeans came, fought with the ‘natives’, and conquered
them. But that happened hundreds of years ago and now we are all equal, but it’s
just a lot of the natives are drunk, lazy and poor, so they continue to blame
us for something that happened a long time ago!” This, like many master
narratives is erroneous and superficial. Although most Canadians would like to
believe that oppression of indigenous peoples in Canada is no longer an issue,
the truth is that the imperialistic attitude and persecution lives on, albeit in
a more covert manner. The ‘master
narrative’ term was developed by Jean-Francois Lyotard to describe a theory
that tries to give a complete, exhaustive account to various historical events,
experiences, and social and cultural phenomena based upon the appeal to an all
inclusive truth or values. In this context, narrative is a story that operates
to legitimize power, authority and social customs. According to Fulford (page
30), a master narrative is “a work of history that scoops up thousands of
facts, fits them into a meaningful pattern and then draws lessons about human
conduct.” This particular master narrative fits Fulford’s description quite
well. It is a ‘story known by a social group; has a lifespan; is inherently
ideological; and it is comprised of smaller narratives’.
The average Canadian considers the
injustices faced by indigenous people to be located in the distant past, as
ironically has every generation. This ignores the fact that half of First Nations
children in Canada grew up in poverty in 2014, that indigenous people were not
able to vote until 1970, the continued imperialist land grab in the name of
fossil fuel projects and profits, that residential schools were happening right
up until the 1960s and the last one closed in 1995, the federal government
refusing to call an enquiry into the missing and murdered indigenous women, and
that the Indian Act continues to this day, amongst others. This master
narrative is a legacy of early Canadian government’s attempts to create a
cohesive national identity, one which omits first nations’ cultures and values,
and is perpetuated by certain sections of the media and politicians whose
interest lies with keeping with this narrative.
The negative portrayal of one group in
society is a classic example of the right wing strategy of ‘divide and rule’, observed
most horrifically during the years leading up the Holocaust, when the dehumanization
of the Jewish people was not just restricted to the German press- the print
version of what is currently the world’s most popular ‘news’ website, the British
Daily Mail supported the Nazis, and contributed
towards the vicious propaganda towards the Jewish people. The tradition lives
on today as the Mail and other
conservative tabloids combine Muslims, asylum seekers, immigrants, (legal and
illegal) and refugees as one homogenous mass of undesirables. The absurdity of
this has gotten so out of hand that each British mainstream party, even the
apparently left wing Labour Party, is locked in a battle of ‘who is tougher on
immigrants’ benefits’. As it gets closer to the election, expect this to get to
higher levels. Don’t be surprised to see, on election day, a photo shoot of
leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron seen getting a refugee in a headlock
whilst giving a speech on immigration reform followed by Labour Party leader Ed
Miliband giving the finger to anyone
‘who looks a bit brown’ coming out of Arrivals at Heathrow Airport.
Of course these sensationalist
tabloids have an agenda to not only distract the masses from more important
issues like climate change and inequality, but also to increase the circulation
of their newspapers. Newspapers, like the Sun, owned by a deeply unpleasant man
whose appearance resembles a baked potato left out for a year- the facially shriveled,
Rupert Murdoch. He is an Australian Tycoon who also owns Fox, which is so far
to the right that the political spectrum has had to have another 30m added to
the end of it. Murdoch’s influence is so large that he can impose whatever
ideological script he wants and his publications’ consumers will go with it.
Fox News could claim there is a 20ft gay Mexican atheist trampling all over New
York and they would believe it. So our faithful attachment to a master
narrative dictates how we frame stories and the questions we ask, which strengthens
our belief in the master narrative. To understand how and why this is so, it is
imperative to know that master narratives are created and reinforced by political
and media power structures, and are therefore promoting the values of callous
privileged capitalists.
Of course any master narrative has a
lifespan and you might suggest that if this particular one I’m focusing on was
to evolve to become much more progressive and in favor of first nation’s rights
and values, then I would welcome it. Yes, but I think there’s more chance of
Stephen Harper performing the ‘Flash dance’ routine in the House of Commons
than that happening. Evolve it might but not quickly enough.
I, for one, believe that there can be
no universal truth. The diversity of human experience is a good thing, where no
master narrative perpetuated by an elite and privileged group of people can be
elevated so far as to appear to be ‘the truth’. Of course it is impossible to
completely obliterate this particular narrative anytime soon, but I believe
there must be room made available for more progressive versions. As Martin
notes, (Freedman, page 647). You might also suggest that two of the grand
narratives of the enlightenment: Democracy and Marxism, were grounded in
progressive values that seeked to work for everybody and not just a privileged
few. Indeed but where are the progressive grand narratives now? “What about the
Master Narrative of the Holocaust?” I hear you ask. “Feeling that this atrocity
must never happen again, that we must stand up against injustice when we see
it, and subjugation of minorities!” I would reply “Where is that compassion for
an oppressed group of people and victims of genocide now, Canada?”
Society grows so accepting of a master
narrative that they are unable to see any other possibilities for stories. Only
recently have indigenous voices been allowed to be heard by the rest of
society, and so the non-aboriginal population is at least beginning to be more
open minded on this issue. New, more progressive counter narratives are
emerging and activist groups such as Idle No More are helping to raise
awareness. First Nations people are reclaiming their culture and stories. For
instance in Victoria, BC- Mount Douglas, a sacred mountain to the Coast Salish
people, has been symbolically restored to its original name, Pklos.
It’s time for Canada to realize that First
Nations people if treating equally as the rest of the country, and given the
chance, will succeed, are creative, amazing, caring, passionate, intelligent humans,
stewards of the Earth and allies in the fight against the oil companies and
conservative ministers that put profits before people and the planet. But don’t
stop reading here dear reader. I am a privileged white male who cannot speak on
behalf of First Nations people. Listen to them as this was merely an
introduction, and I am merely an ally of this cause. Check out Idle No More and
its newsletters, attend a teach in, and become an ally yourself. I
stand in solidarity with the struggles of the indigenous people of Canada and
so should you.
