Photo of bilingual road sign in English and in Squamish, taken in British Columbia, Canada (public domain)
Language matters.
As you begin to study Canada’s history, it is important that you develop a vocabulary with which to discuss it. The readings that follow argue that the words we use shape our interpretations of the past. Though each of these readings is about how we address the histories of Indigenous peoples, the broad themes they address can be applied to many other aspects of Canada’s past. As you read through each essay, ask yourself about how each argument might be applied to histories of childhood, gender, labour, sexuality, slavery, or women (among many other subjects you will encounter in your studies).
Interpretations
- Thomas Peace, “Colonialism and the Words We Choose: Lessons from Museum and Academy,” ActiveHistory.ca, 20 August 2018.
- Brittany Luby, Kathryn Labelle, and Alison Norman, “(Re)naming and (De)colonizing the (I?)ndigenous People(s) of North America – Part I,” ActiveHistory.ca, 7 Nov. 2016.
- Brittany Luby, Kathryn Labelle, and Alison Norman, “(Re)naming and (De)colonizing the (I?)ndigenous People(s) of North America – Part II,” ActiveHistory.ca, 8 Nov. 2016.
