In his “Conclusion to a Literary History of Canada,” Northrop Frye famously observes, “that Canadian sensibility … is less perplexed by the question ‘Who am I?’ than by some such riddle as ‘Where is here?’”
In his “Conclusion to a Literary History of Canada,” Northrop Frye famously observes, “that Canadian sensibility … is less perplexed by the question ‘Who am I?’ than by some such riddle as ‘Where is here?’” (253). The question “where is here?” reflects the position of the explorer and the settler moving through unknown territories. Indigenous literatures respond to this question by asserting the voices and presence of peoples who are here already, familiar and connected with the land. The ways we connect to here, elsewhere, and the histories that inform our homes are all crucial to our identities and our positioning in relation to others.
This exercise helps you reflect on how you perceive your surroundings, your community, and yourself, thereby developing a better understanding of your positioning. This process will help you develop a more self-reflexive critical perspective.
- List regional, national, or even continental spaces that you consider important to your understanding of your personal, ethnic, and cultural origins across generations. Also, list other cultural heritages that have an impact on your sense of self, such as those of close friends or family.
- What does here mean to you? How do you consider yourself connected to your surroundings, and what words would you use to describe it? Consider how the previous list of heritages might inform these perspectives by providing alternative ideas about place. Also consider rural, suburban, and urban experiences to help open up possibilities for discussion.
- List words that you would use to describe your surroundings. What does your language reveal about your understanding of space and its uses? Are there particular words that spring to mind right away that indicate assumptions about or biases towards particular types of cultural and social engagement with different spaces?
- The classroom is not a neutral space, but rather a location where differences may be reinforced and negotiated. Practices, such as which texts are taught, how the details are discussed, and whose opinions are considered, can function either to maintain colonial assumptions, power dynamics, and values (such as essentialist understandings of authenticity), or to create an atmosphere of critical respect and alliance with Indigenous peoples that move beyond essentialism to dynamic interactions. Understanding one’s own positioning helps to mitigate against colonial assumptions and opens up dialogue.
- Discuss what personal differences and histories suggest about the social cli