Cultural Differences Between Abel And Thien

There are many who are used to different cultures and celebrate this diversity in the western world. However, at times, those cultures lose a bit of themselves due to the integration into the western society, as is the case for Jordan Abel and Madeleine Thien. Abel, being of Nisga’a descent, and Thien, being of Malaysian descent, both aim towards bringing their perspectives on heritage separation to light through their works. Though different in the way they convey their messages of forgotten culture, both Abel and Thien show how the western society has taken over their own heritages, and this leads to the loss of cultural identity. Though Barbeau’s work was meant to preserve the Nisga’a heritage and history, his documentary, Nass River Indians, “foregrounds the presence of the anthropological fieldworker so as to control – but not erase – the signs of western cultural influence upon native lifeways in British Columbia” (Wakeham, 59). With this in mind, it is only natural that there would be evidence towards the westernization within the Nass River. When explaining the totem poles, Barbeau keeps a …show more content…
While Abel focuses on Barbeau’s notes on the Nass River in order to tell his story of the westernization in his heritage, Thien focuses on the Canadian use of food preparation, utensils, and language in her household to speak about the westernization that occurred in childhood. As previously mentioned, although the Canadian society is very open to diversity, it is quite easy for those diverse nationalities to lose a small amount of their cultural identities once fully integrated into the society, which Abel and Thien’s works reveal. This revelation is one that is inevitable, but sad. One’s heritage is what makes them who they are, and by removing that part from them, a part of their identity is lost, and ultimately,