Digitized Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1828/20823

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 161

New natures in tourism: local ecotourism and environmental activism
(2000) Hart, Randle Joseph; Carroll, William K.
In this thesis I explore the relationship between ecotourism and environmental activism. I argue that processes of de-differentiation and increased reflexivity have created opportunities for environmental activism in spaces hitherto excluded from conventional notions of socio-political action, namely tourism. In Chapter One I argue that it is the very development of global capitalism, the transition from Fordism to post-Fordism, new modes of consumption, and the advent of a postmodern cultural paradigm that have brought about this de-differentiation and increased reflexivity. In Chapter Two, I argue that for ecotourism this has meant that work, leisure, and activism have become, in some instances, indistinguishable and, consequently, some forms of ecotourism have become a viable method of educating people about various environmental problems and crises. In Chapter Three, I argue that through the organization of tourist gazes, ecotourism has made it possible for people to compare different environments, different ideas of nature, as well as various instances of environmental degradation.
Surprising survival: the preservation of Dawson City's architectural heritage
(2002) Burnham, Ronald Eugene; Thomas, Christopher A.
Few North American 19th-century boomtowns have survived. As accessible mineral reserves ran out, miners and townspeople followed. Those mining camps still extant have usually survived through government sponsorship and historic park designation, and act as outdoor museums. An exception to this is Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. How has Dawson, just kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, perservered without the mining wealth that created it? This thesis explores that phenomenon, concluding that the building of a fully serviced town in the 1890's in such an unlikely location owed much to the Canadian government's determination to resist American colonization of this country. Dawson City's preservation into this century is best explained by a combination of factors: its architectural heritage survives through major and equivalent roles of government, tourism, and the loyalty of the townspeople.
How and why British Columbian francophones are integrated into or assimilated by the British Columbian majority group
(2000) Donnelly, John Gilbert; France, Honoré
Ten case study interviews were used to investigate how and why originally unilingual French-speaking families and their individual members are integrated into or assimilated by British Columbian society and whether the process entails additive or subtractive bilingualism. The study identifies the resources and strategies of families who have successfully adapted to life in British Columbia and makes recommendations to help make settlement on the West Coast easier for French-Canadian families. A case study approach allowed the researcher to go beyond already available statistics. The families interviewed were from very different walks of life and had already made the choice to have their children educated either in French only, English only or both English and French. There were ten families and twenty-eight children represented. Some of the children were already adults and had children of their own but unfortunately the latter were still too young to be included in this study. A forty-four year interval separated the arrivals of the first- and last-arrived families, and the second generation ranged between the ages of seven and forty. The study looks at the roles government agencies, the parish, the French society, French and French immersion schools and other organizations played in the lives of the families interviewed and how they could have been even more useful. It suggests also other means to enhance the preservation and development of the French language and culture in British Columbia. The study reveals that subtractive bilingualism and assimilation do not have to be the fate of French speaking Canadians who settle in British Columbia. It stresses that to achieve additive bilingualism and become an integral part of British Columbian society, French-speaking families have to be actively involved in maintaining their language, culture and traditions.
The myth of the big Swede logger: an arbetskarl in the Vancouver Island Forests, 1920-1948
(1999) St. Jean, Eva Elizabeth; Sager, Eric William
This thesis studies the union involvement of Swedish and Scandinavian loggers on Vancouver Island, 1920-1948. Pointing to the Swedish labour movement, historians have mythologized Swedes in B.C. as the archetypal logger and radical union supporter. Research on the Swedish forest industry, however, indicates that many loggers viewed themselves as independent producers rather than proletarians. Swedish immigration to British Columbia peaked in the 1920s, but Swedes were less concentrated in logging than commonly believed. Neither does evidence suggest that Swedes in Canada were radicals who dominated in forest unions. A Norwegian and a Swede-Finnish union leader were conspicuous activists, and helped create the illusion that loggers' unions were Scandinavian led. Sources are Swedish research, interviews, Census of Canada, employment records from logging companies, and the Harold Pritchett Papers. Scandinavians and Swedes were important in the logging industry, but never dominated the workforce, and were often underrepresented in union membership lists.
Port Alberni and the Great Depression: paying the price of prosperity
(2003) Hutton, Jane; Roy, Patricia
Many of Port Alberni's experiences during the Great Depression were similar to those of other western Canadian communities: the collapse of its major resource industry; subsequent unemployment and business closures; and the near bankruptcy of the city. A combination of factors, however, made Port Alberni's experiences unique. The expansion of industrial activity subsequent to the negotiation of a new trade agreement between Canada and Britain combined with the city's situation as the western terminus of the highway and railroad to make Port Alberni the locus of thousands of migrants who searched across Canada for work. The city benefited from symbiotic developments among population growth, industrial expansion and commercial maturation at the same time as it suffered financial and social problems associated with the influx of people. In spite of the short duration of widespread unemployment, industrial and commercial bankruptcies, and financial strains on Port Alberni's treasury, city leaders never recovered their confidence but remained resentful of transients and wary of growth even when conditions improved.
Winds of change: a reexamination of some factors influencing the development of Nelson and its commercial relationships, 1891-1901
(1994) Godfrey, Christine Elizabeth; Roy, Patricia
Historical studies of the dramatic growth of the West Kootenay region in the late nineteenth century have focussed on individual industries, communities or personalities. Although scholars have studied Kootenay mining and railway development, no one has researched comprehensively the region's early economic growth. While not providing a complete overview of its economic development, this study examines some aspects of the West Kootenay economy which developed along with the mining industry. Specifically, it focuses on the Nelson business community as a lens to examine the evolution of West Kootenay commercial relationships. Traditional interpretations of West Kootenay development in the 1880s and 1890s have argued that the region was economically dominated by Americans. Using the 1891 manuscript census, the Dun Reference Books and contemporary newspaper reports, this study suggests that development of the West Kootenay economy was more complex than traditional interpretations indicate. While American influences were important, Canadian influences were present from the beginning and their significance was greater than has previously been accepted. The 1891 manuscript census reveals a West Kootenay population, who had originated from Canada, the United States and several other countries, engaged in a variety of industries as well as mining. Any initial American majority had disappeared so that in 1891 the majority of both the West Kootenay population in general and the miners were not American. A decade later, the Americans still were not in the majority. While the region experienced a dramatic growth in the size of its population, the variety of its economic activity and its volume of trade, the Dun Reference Books reveal that this growth was not steady. Moreover, the variables affecting trade were complex and constantly changing, reflecting the volatility of the community as a whole. This volatility, which influenced all aspects of the economy, was the important variable in influencing West Kootenay trade. Moreover, the high business turnover and short residency of the merchants, combined with the early multicultural nature of its population, suggests that American domination was, at best, relatively short-lived.
Religion and ethnicity: Dutch immigration and the first Christian Reformed Church of Victoria, British Columbia, 1952-1961
(1999) Ruitenbeek-Ott, Laura Renata; Roy, Patricia
Examining archival sources from the period 1952-1961 and drawing on the work of immigration and ethnic historians, and sociologists, this thesis argues that Dutch immigrants of the Christian Reformed Church in Victoria emphasised the religious aspects of their ethnicity while not ignoring cultural aspects such as language and holidays. Historical surveys and interviews indicate that religion was not a factor in the decision to emigrate. Although upon arrival, many were quick to join established Christian Reformed Churches and Christian schools or formed their own. Although the rationale for replicating these familiar institutions was to express their faith rather than to create cultural enclaves, outsiders attached the label "Dutch" to these institutions. While the faith of these immigrants determined much of their interaction with wider society, any attempt to retain cultural aspects of their ethnicity would have been confined to the home. Emphasising religious rather than cultural aspects of ethnic identity, these Dutch immigrants were willing to incorporate English into their worship services and church groups in order to promote evangelism and to ensure that the children would remain in the church. The Christian school they founded was open to members of all denominations because they believed that Christian education was more important than preserving Dutch culture. Religion served as a resource for these immigrants, providing a sense of community, economic assistance and a range of social activities. Despite these struggles with their identities as Christians and Dutch people in a new country, these immigrants desired to become Canadian and were able to do so while retaining their religion.
Living on the edge: Nuu-Chah-Nulth history from an Ahousaht Chief's perspective
(1998) George, Earl Maquinna; Duffus, David Allan; Turner, Nancy J.
Growing up through a time of great changes in the lives of First Nations people I have seen and felt may things. Only a couple of generations before my time we were self governing states with our own institutions to govern day to day life and the resources we depended on. Through most of my lifetime we were treated like children by the new governors of this country. Now we are seeing the beginnings of a new period where we can once more have control over our affairs. There has been a great deal to think about in joining the past to the present and planning for the future of our people. This work documents some selected legends, recollections, and my own thoughts and feelings to develop a narrative that may allow onlookers to understand some of the things that may not be readily apparent, especially to non-native people, about a coastal First Nation and the relationship of the people, the land, and the sea.
Rethinking first-wave feminism through the ideas of Emily Murphy
(1997) Smith, Alisa Dawn; Marks, Lynne Sorrel
This examination of the ideas of Emily Murphy--Alberta reformer, journalist, and magistrate--offers a new portrayal of a first-wave feminist in Canada. Rather than exhibiting the maternalism which historians ascribe to the movement, this prominent feminist believed that men and women were fundamentally equal, with gender differences caused by social and historical forces. This study takes a new analytical approach, combining recent historical interest in the radical potential of the feminist movement, with a study of early feminist ideas of race, class, and gender. Murphy' s ideas are contextualized within the range of ideas held by her contemporaries. The result is a nuanced portrayal revealing both feminism's liberatory potential and its flaws. As Murphy has been held up as a typical "racist" and "maternal" feminist--and these designations prove inadequate--this study suggests that historians need to revisit the ideas of the first-wave feminists.
The Flower beadwork people: factors contributing to the emergence of a distinctive Métis culture & artistic style at Red River from 1844-1869
(1995) Blady, Sharon Anne; Wyatt, Victoria
The Red River Metis are a distinct and often misunderstood population in nineteenth century Canadian history. They are also the producers of a rich art style in the medium of beadwork. However, despite reference to their influence on the art of other Amerindian populations little is said about the factors which influenced their own unique style. The purpose of my research was two-fold: to establish the historical context which shaped their culture and art and to examine works ·made by Metis women with connections to the Red River Settlement to isolate distinctive traits. Initially, I established the definition of Metis in the temporal and geographic context of the Red River Settlement from 1844 to 1869. As a socio-cultural or ethnographic identifier, Metis is not solely defined by genealogy, which is further supported by research into the areas of ethnohistory, fur trade history including social history and gender roles. However, the dominant characteristics of the population were that they spoke French, were Catholics and rarely occupied officer positions within the Hudson's Bay Company. They were subject to racial, religious and social discrimination and yet remained a distinct, proud and independent population within the Red River community. Their independence is reflected in their art. In examining their possible influences, three stand out: Cree and Ojibwa populations of the Woodlands, from whom they are descended and French embroidery patternbooks of the Grey Nuns. In examining traits and influences of these sources in comparison to pieces held in Le Musee de St-Boniface certain distinct traits are identifiable. These pieces from the Lagimodiere Nault-Carriere and Riel families are further compared to other works identified as Metis held in various North American museum collections. This comparative, stylistic and attribute analysis isolates the following traits: use of floral elements derived or influenced by Cree, Ojibwa or patternbook sources, manipulation of these elements into complex motifs and palettes and use of this new hybrid vocabulary of motifs in a complex manner not seen in any of the influencing sources. The composition of design elements reflects conscious selection, manipulation of elements and palettes, most often in a balanced, curvalinear and non-symmetrical organization. The strength, independence and complexity of these designs is seen as a physical and artistic representation of the Metis culture at Red River in view of the established historical background.
Ethnic identity and acculturation among Chinese Canadians
(2002) Chia, Ai-Lan; Costigan, Catherine L.
The purpose of the current study was to examine the nature of ethnic identity and acculturation, and to evaluate relations among ethnic identity, acculturation, cultural contact, and psychological well-being among Chinese Canadians. Two hundred and thirty-four university students with Chinese origins completed a variety of measures of ethnic identity and acculturation, including a) cognitive aspects: sense of common fate, insult and praise as Chinese and Canadian, and Chinese cultural values; b) affective aspects: Chinese and Canadian Affirmation and Belongingness, Chinese and Canadian Identity Achievement, and Collective Self-esteem as Chinese; and c) behavioural aspects: Chinese and Canadian behavioural orientations and practices. Participants also completed well-being measures of Self-Esteem, Depressive Symptoms, and Acculturative Stress. A factor analysis revealed a multidimensional structure for ethnic identity. Specifically, three factors emerged, labelled: Chinese-Internal Identity, Chinese-External Identity, and Ethnic Evaluation. This third factor reflects the distinction between one's evaluation of the ethnic group and one's identification with that ethnic group. In a separate factor analysis, acculturation (Canadian Identity) was unidimensional. Relations between the four factors and participants' contact with Chinese and Canadian culture were examined. Being foreign-born was associated with higher Chinese-External Identity, and residing in Canada longer was associated with higher Canadian Identity. Older chronological age, but not cultural contact, was related to higher Chinese-Internal Identity and Ethnic Evaluation. A pattern-centred methodology was used to form subgroups of participants based on their identity and acculturation factor scores. Five distinctive cultural groups were discovered: Dual Cultural Identity Group, Chinese Identity Group, Canadian Identity Group, Dual Cultural Identity- Low Chinese Behaviour Group, and Unidentified-High Chinese Behaviour Group. Several of these five groups resembled Berry's four acculturation types. However, the final presentation of these five groups was more complex, due to the multidimensional perspectives of ethnic identity and acculturation, the assessment of acculturation as individuals' orientation towards Canadian culture, and the use of cluster analysis to form subgroups. The relationship between cultural identity and psychological well-being was examined. Through the variable-centred approach, older age, being Canadian-born, having a higher Ethnic Evaluation, higher Chinese-External Identity, and higher Canadian Identity were associated with better well-being. Higher Chinese-Internal Identity was related to poorer well-being only, when it did not coexist with Ethnic Evaluation. When using the pattern-centred approach, only one between-group difference in the level of well-being was found. This may be because none of the groups were characterized exclusively by risk factors or exclusively by protective factors. Lastly, the relationship between ethnic identity and acculturation, although conceptualized as orthogonal, varied depending on which factor was under review. Across the whole sample, Chinese-Internal Identity and Ethnic Evaluation were both orthogonal to Canadian Identity, whereas Chinese-External Identity was negatively related to Canadian Identity (i.e., bipolar). The relationship between ethnic identity and acculturation was more complicated when it was examined within each of the five clusters. The results highlight the importance of understanding the uniqueness of subgroups formed within a relatively homogeneous sample. Overall, the multidimensional assessment of ethnic identity and acculturation, the diverse relationships among multiple dimensions, and the discovery of subgroups with unique cultural identity profiles have significant implications for clinical practice (e.g., the influence of cultural identity on the expression of psychological difficulties), for intervention and prevention programming ( e.g., the need to adapt programs based on the cultural identity profiles of recipients), and for cultural psychology research (e.g., considerations for selecting variable- and pattern-centred approaches depending on the research objectives).
Voice of the fugitive: Henry Bibb and 'racial uplift' in Canada West, 1851-1852
(2001) Stanton, Susan Marion; Marks, Lynne Sorrel
The Voice of the Fugitive, Canada's first black newspaper, began publication on January 1, 1851. This thesis discusses the topics presented in the Voice of the Fugitive and the paper's editor, Henry Bibb. Black leader Henry Bibb established his bi-weekly newspaper in Canada West to promote causes that he felt would strengthen Canada's black community. Bibb used his paper to promote antislavery and to advance the ideology of 'racial elevation'. Racial elevation, also known as racial uplift, was an attempt to refute discriminatory stereotypes and a quest for respectability for blacks. Bibb believed that adopting values associated with the white middle class would help foster self-respect among black Canadians and demonstrate black respectability to whites. Bibb and the Voice of the Fugitive consistently urged black Canadians to build a better life and uplift their race. Values such as abolition, education, temperance, religion, land-owning, and agriculture were championed in the pages of the Voice of the Fugitive.
The mirror of dignity: Zapatista communications & indigenous resistance
(2002) Pitawanakwat, Brock Thorbjorn; Alfred, Taiaiake
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) is an indigenous resistance movement that has achieved remarkable results in its communications campaign in Chiapas, Mexico. The EZLN has successfully drawn attention to indigenous rights domestically and internationally, a success that offers potential lessons for the decolonizing efforts of indigenous peoples elsewhere. Although limiting factors exist, this thesis generalizes the Zapatistas' particular communications experience into a model of action that directs other indigenous resistance movements to: (1) self-consciously build on the historical context of their communities and nations to create an identity of resistance; (2) develop communications infrastructure; (3) develop spokespersons; (4) attract and maintain media and public interest; (5) clearly frame the adversary and the objective; (6) nationalize and internationalize their cause; (7) offer useful services to communities; (8) avoid message manipulation and cooptation; and (9) beware of "perception management" by the adversary.
Coast Salish mountain goat horn bracelets: evidence of change and continuity in Coast Salish art production and use during the early contact period on the Norhtwest Coast of America
(1998) Leece, Robert Douglas; Wyatt, Victoria
This thesis is an ethnohistorical consideration of Coast Salish mountain goat horn bracelets. This study presents three primary themes: the significance of bracelets in Coast Salish society, the replacement of mountain goat horn bracelets with trade materials, and the ultimate disappearance of the mountain goat horn bracelets. These themes are addressed through a consideration of the general historical context, the collection history of twenty-two examples of mountain goat horn bracelets, a stylistic analysis of the same twenty-two bracelets, and an analysis of the impact of certain indigenous Coast Salish cultural practices on the bracelets' history. Major findings include the identification of standard compositional types used for the decoration of the bracelets, a relationship between Coast Salish funerary practices and the disappearance of the bracelets, and the speculative conclusion that the development of an environment of popular culture during the land-based fur trade produced changes in Coast Salish material culture.
Representing north: Inuit identity and the paradox of culture, communications and self-determination
(2000) Heck, Angela; Walker, R. B. J.
This thesis examines the relationship of identity, cultural production, communications and self-determination to reveal the complexities of lnuit-Canadian relations. By studying the politics of naturalization and cultural production in the work of feminist theorists, the Frankfurt School and writers such as Michael Shapiro, it is shown that the process of Canadian state domination of the Inuit is related to symbolic control. Specifically, Inuit art and the mass media are sites where we can observe the often-paradoxical relations of domination and resistance in which the Inuit people are involved. Despite the fact that the production of Inuit art and mass media is primarily a colonialist enterprise, there is nonetheless room for resistance and/or authentic artistic expression within the framework offered by this activity.
First Nations self-administered police forces: the changing nature of the administration of justice
(2001) Johal, Simrita; Ruff, Norman J.
Delivering appropriate police services to Aboriginal communities across Canada is a difficult task. In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, a number of proposals and policies were put in place to address Aboriginal peoples' concerns with on-reserve policing procedures. These policies aimed to contribute to the improvement of social order, public security and personal safety in Aboriginal communities. This thesis investigates the evolution and the effectiveness of on-reserve Aboriginal policing options, with a particular focus on four First-Nations self-administered police services. This analysis explores how historical cultural definitions of justice have impacted policing services to on-reserve Aboriginal communities across the country. The goal of the thesis is to explore how the law enforcement component of the justice system is helping Aboriginal peoples to acquire the tools to become self-sufficient and self-governing through the establishment of structures for the management and administration of First Nations police services.
The Inuvialuit final agreement: political-economic development in the western Arctic Beaufort Region, Northwest Territories
(1994) DePasquale, Susan Frances; Magnusson, Warren
In the Beaufort Region, Western Arctic, Northwest Territories, a new era of constitutional development has dawned with Inuvialuit communities at the forefront of political-economic reform and cultural renewal inspired by their 1984 land claim. The Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA) created the basis for new land jurisdictions and institutions governed by Inuvialuit communities themselves. Unlike previous state-led strategies for development in the Western NWT, the current IFA regional (corporate) governing body derives its authority to implement political-economic policy decisions and to represent Inuvialuit in the NWT Legislative Assembly from the communities. The communities decide the powers of their regional corporation, and the latter has become a strong force in the Legislative Assembly in determining the direction of regional government in the Western Arctic. The current IFA corporate network represents a constitutional change of major significance, of which the federal and territorial governments and other land claimants have taken much notice. Inuvialuit proposals to establish regional self-government, advanced since the beginning of their land claim in 1977, now appear an imminent reality. While there remain other competing levels of government begun by previous federal administrations, Inuvialuit communities are the primary governing institutions in the Beaufort region. Clearly, it is the IFA regional/community corporate bodies that are emerging as the enduring feature of Beaufort government as it exists today. Previous governing regimes in the Western Arctic have proven unreliable and transitory, a passing whim inspired by what suited the economies of the south. A downturn in the national economy and in the global oil industry has proven a blessing in disguise for Inuvialuit, and Beaufort communities have taken over the development challenge - - building a political-economy that centers on traditional wilderness activities and modern services, and that offers opportunities for future Inuvialuit.
Storytelling in the spirit of wise woman: experiences of Kuper Island Residential School
(2000) Thomas, Qwul'sih'yah'maht Robina Anne; Brown, Leslie Allison
This thesis, or journey, looks at the experiences and shares the stories of three former students of Kuper Island Residential School (Kuper Island, BC). Storytelling is the methodology utilized in this research. The joys and struggles of storytelling are identified, as storytelling traditionally was, and still is, a teaching tool. Included are an overview of traditional First Nations education, the development of residential school policy, and the impact on First Nations children of a policy geared to cultural genocide. The Medicine Wheel, three Coast Salish masks, and a borrowed mask are used to analyse the impact of residential school on former students. Traditional legends are used to explore the lives of the storytellers. Included is the development of "characters" through trauma, humiliation, abuses and isolation from family, community, and culture. Wise Woman offers us an understanding of how First Nations people can begin to heal and move away from the residential school experience and return to our traditional way of life - Snuw'uy'ul.
Conversations with First Nations educators: weaving identity into pedagogical practice
(2000) Wilson, Teresa; Robertson, Margaret
This study addresses how the identity of contemporary First Nations educators weaves into their praxis as educators. It simultaneously tackles authenticity of cross-cultural research approach, in particular the relationship between academic research and Native peoples. The methodology chosen is the hermeneutic conversation, specifically, Gadamer's use of Aristotle's phronesis and Socrates' dialectic. Principles for future research conduct with First Nations people are adduced; collaboration was a key element. The crux is contained within the conversations the researcher had with six First Nations educators from five different nations. The educators' words are organized into four voices: a voice that affirms the contemporary applicability of traditional teachings (the affirming voice), a resistant voice that quietly rages against systematic racism and persistent stereotyping, an ironic voice that reminds First Nations educators of the distance yet to be traveled, and a bridging voice that encourages Canadian society to be taught by First Nations thought.
Sovereignty and decolonization: realizing indigenous self-determination at the United Nations and in Canada
(2001) Roy, Audrey Jane; Alfred, Taiaiake
The inclusion of self-determination in the two international human rights covenants and in the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Peoples evidence self-determination's place in the language of international human rights at the United Nations. Though these documents declare that "all peoples have the right of self determination," a closer look at the history of self-determination at the UN and its relationship to decolonization illustrates how member states of the United Nations have carefully excluded indigenous peoples from being counted within the seemingly all embracing language of "all peoples." The study is divided into two parts. Part 1, Chapter I examines United Nations dialogue surrounding self-determination and decolonization and reveals the definitions accepted by that international body. Chapter 2 presents academic understandings of both the subject and content of self-determination and concludes by offering alternatives that make the right of self-determination accessible to all peoples. Chapter 3 highlights the distinguishing historical context of indigenous claims to self-determination and reconceptualizes the frequently misunderstood terms ' nation' and 'state' as required by the status of indigenous peoples as sovereign nations. Part II applies ideas developed in Part I to the Canadian context. Chapter 4 reveals how the tenants underlying Crown policy perpetuate the colonial relationship implemented by the first settlers and how the Canadian legal system helps to legitimize the Crown's assumption of sovereignty and the continuing denial of indigenous nationhood. Chapter 5 describes how federalism can offer a unique opportunity to reconfigure the Canadian state and decolonize the relationship between the Crown and indigenous peoples.

Browse

Recent Submissions