Canoe Nation: Nature, Race, and the Making of a Canadian Icon

Canoe Nation: Nature, Race, and the Making of a Canadian Icon
ISBN-10
0774822511
ISBN-13
9780774822510
Category
History
Pages
252
Language
English
Published
2013-06-15
Publisher
UBC Press
Author
Bruce Erickson

Description

More than an ancient means of transportation and trade, the canoe has come to be a symbol of Canada itself. In Canoe Nation, Bruce Erickson argues that the canoe's sentimental power has come about through a set of narratives that attempt to legitimize a particular vision of Canada that overvalues the nation's connection to nature. From Alexander Mackenzie to Grey Owl to Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the canoe authenticates Canada's reputation as a tolerant, environmentalist nation, even when there is abundant evidence to the contrary. Ultimately, the stories we tell about the canoe need to be understood as moments in the ever-contested field of cultural politics.

Other editions

Similar books