The opposite of Pierre Berton, for whom nothing mattered but drunken, genocidal Scots and railways. Leacock's statement is an accurate reflection of the settler-descended chauvinism of the time, and in his defense, there was little evidence to suggest otherwise.
With modern archaeology and anthropology, we safely assume that there was social and political friction and tumult, up to and including war, for thousands of years before First Contact. Our ancestors didn't have Enlightenment when they first arrived. They were party crashers who had no idea that they were ruining it for everybody. If we'd been smarter, we would all be Métis now.
Can you imaging a Burns-like documentary of residential schools? What a blessing that would be.
The opposite of Pierre Berton, for whom nothing mattered but drunken, genocidal Scots and railways. Leacock's statement is an accurate reflection of the settler-descended chauvinism of the time, and in his defense, there was little evidence to suggest otherwise.
With modern archaeology and anthropology, we safely assume that there was social and political friction and tumult, up to and including war, for thousands of years before First Contact. Our ancestors didn't have Enlightenment when they first arrived. They were party crashers who had no idea that they were ruining it for everybody. If we'd been smarter, we would all be Métis now.
Very well-written. Many things to think about. Thank you.
Thank you, enjoyed this 🤓