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History General

Becoming Native in a Foreign Land

Sport, Visual Culture, and Identity in Montreal, 1840-85

by (author) Gillian Poulter

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Jan 2010
Category
General, Social History, General, Pre-Confederation (to 1867), Customs & Traditions, History, General, 19th Century, Post-Confederation (1867-), General
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774814423
    Publish Date
    Jan 2010
    List Price
    $34.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774814416
    Publish Date
    May 2009
    List Price
    $36.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774816427
    Publish Date
    Jan 2010
    List Price
    $125.00

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Description

How did British colonists in Victorian Montreal come to think of themselves as “native Canadian”? This incisive, richly illustrated work reveals that colonists adopted Aboriginal and French Canadian activities – hunting, lacrosse, snowshoeing, and tobogganing – and appropriated them while imposing British ideologies of order, discipline, and fair play. In the process, they constructed visual icons that were recognized at home and abroad as distinctly “Canadian” national symbols. The new Canadian nationality mimicked indigenous characteristics but ultimately rejected indigenous players, instead championing the interests of white, middle-class, Protestant males who used their newly acquired identity to dominate the political realm.

 

Becoming Native in a Foreign Land demonstrates that English Canadian identity was not formed solely by emulating what was British. In fact, it gained enormous ground by usurping what was indigenous in the fertile landscape of a foreign land. A vital and original study, it will appeal to scholars and enthusiasts of Canadian history, identity, and culture.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Gillian Poulter is an associate professor of Canadian history at Acadia University.

Editorial Reviews

It is a rare pleasure to have to wait until the final half-dozen pages to find anything to quibble about. The quality of poulter’s writing is uniformly excellent and jargon-free.

H-Canada

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