Interpretation of Kent Monkman’s Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience
Monkman’s exhibit is a demonstration of the narrative of relations between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples, implying much of what he is trying to convey with the title of the collection. Each piece is interconnected and has some relevance to the story of Indigenous culture and its survival of the state’s attempts to assimilate or destroy the history and ways of life of the many Indigenous groups within what is now considered Canadian borders. The discourse that surrounds this narrative is one which has begun to bubble up more in popular Canadian culture; the rejection of Canada 150 and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are both examples of how many …show more content…
The piece depicts Jesuit priests and nuns, alongside RCMP officers, tearing Indigenous children from their parent’s arms, likely to be taken to residential schools to undergo what can only be described as cultural reprogramming. The RCMP and priests are agents of governmental institutions carrying out colonial policies to strip away the culture of Indigenous children to kill off their peoples’ cultures and ways of life in their generation. These policies are very much in line with the sentiment of cultural supremacy that was espoused by the government and settlers alike. Cultural supremacy can be witnessed within attempts to evangelize the Huron peoples by Jesuit priests, depicted in Rageneau’s Shadows Over Huronia. There is an underlying theme of the ‘white man’s burden’, a need to teach what was described as ‘savage’ peoples’ the superior culture so that they can be civilized, which is an explicitly colonial perspective which is present in the residential school system. Further, the language used by John A. Macdonald in the Legislative Assembly when describing the formation of a united Canada refers to a union for the benefit of people of “the same blood and lineage” which has obvious racial and cultural implications. The residential school system, the early iterations of the Indian Act that were pioneers …show more content…
Amidst the chaos of Indigenous parents battling the RCMP and priests for their children, the sky overhead is dark and gloomy, and a raven is shown overhead. These symbols represent the oppression and destruction of Indigenous culture, however, the sky on the right side of the piece is bright and there is what looks like a dove flying overhead of a group of children running toward a forest. This represents the survival of indigenous culture, the resilience of the peoples to face the policies of assimilation and cultural genocide and remain steadfast in their ways. Recent trends show that Canadians are beginning to acknowledge the mistreatment of Indigenous people; events like the rejection of Canada 150 are examples of how popular political discourse is changing, Canadians are more aware of the history of Canada and are less accepting of the glorification of figures like John A. Macdonald. Only recently did a bar in Kingston change its name due to the growing discontent associated with Macdonald, which demonstrates how discourses surrounding the popular narratives of Canada’s history are changing and Indigenous peoples are beginning to be
Monkman’s exhibit is a demonstration of the narrative of relations between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples, implying much of what he is trying to convey with the title of the collection. Each piece is interconnected and has some relevance to the story of Indigenous culture and its survival of the state’s attempts to assimilate or destroy the history and ways of life of the many Indigenous groups within what is now considered Canadian borders. The discourse that surrounds this narrative is one which has begun to bubble up more in popular Canadian culture; the rejection of Canada 150 and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are both examples of how many …show more content…
The piece depicts Jesuit priests and nuns, alongside RCMP officers, tearing Indigenous children from their parent’s arms, likely to be taken to residential schools to undergo what can only be described as cultural reprogramming. The RCMP and priests are agents of governmental institutions carrying out colonial policies to strip away the culture of Indigenous children to kill off their peoples’ cultures and ways of life in their generation. These policies are very much in line with the sentiment of cultural supremacy that was espoused by the government and settlers alike. Cultural supremacy can be witnessed within attempts to evangelize the Huron peoples by Jesuit priests, depicted in Rageneau’s Shadows Over Huronia. There is an underlying theme of the ‘white man’s burden’, a need to teach what was described as ‘savage’ peoples’ the superior culture so that they can be civilized, which is an explicitly colonial perspective which is present in the residential school system. Further, the language used by John A. Macdonald in the Legislative Assembly when describing the formation of a united Canada refers to a union for the benefit of people of “the same blood and lineage” which has obvious racial and cultural implications. The residential school system, the early iterations of the Indian Act that were pioneers …show more content…
Amidst the chaos of Indigenous parents battling the RCMP and priests for their children, the sky overhead is dark and gloomy, and a raven is shown overhead. These symbols represent the oppression and destruction of Indigenous culture, however, the sky on the right side of the piece is bright and there is what looks like a dove flying overhead of a group of children running toward a forest. This represents the survival of indigenous culture, the resilience of the peoples to face the policies of assimilation and cultural genocide and remain steadfast in their ways. Recent trends show that Canadians are beginning to acknowledge the mistreatment of Indigenous people; events like the rejection of Canada 150 are examples of how popular political discourse is changing, Canadians are more aware of the history of Canada and are less accepting of the glorification of figures like John A. Macdonald. Only recently did a bar in Kingston change its name due to the growing discontent associated with Macdonald, which demonstrates how discourses surrounding the popular narratives of Canada’s history are changing and Indigenous peoples are beginning to be