Ward, J. T. (2023). The Dark Side of Canadian History: A Two-Eyed Seeing Approach. In The Palgrave Handbook on Rethinking Colonial Commemorations(pp. 87-100). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Abstract

A global reckoning is disrupting how we consider our colonial history and commemorations. England, along with many other countries, such as Spain, France and Germany, colonised Africa, India, Australia and, last but not least, Canada are all undergoing a re-examining of past injustices, which are being rewritten to state the realities of the past. Our country underwent its share of colonial injustices. Global reckonings are being felt now throughout Canada, which are illuminating the dark and forgotten side of Canadian history that has been carefully ignored. Not having been taught the true facts of colonisation and, in particular, about John A. MacDonald in school has led the author to pursue a two-eyed seeing approach to examine both settler and Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) sides of the actions of Canada’s first prime minister. Seeing him through settler eyes, he was a visionary, country builder and unifying national leader. Through Indigenous eyes, he was an instigator of cultural genocide, which has manifested in the current detrimental situation of Canadian Indigenous peoples. We are always told ‘before we judge, we must understand both sides of any story’. Therefore, in this chapter, the author scrutinises these two sides of Canada’s early history.

Trigger warning: This chapter discusses the Canadian Residential Schools. This may cause distress for some readers—support is available from the Canadian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.