Visions of Canada Position Paper Example
To what extent should we pursue the perspective on nationalism reflected in the source?
Source 4: “I suppose the half-breeds in Manitoba, in 1870, did not fight for two hundred acres of land, but it is to be understood there were two societies who treated together. One was small, but in its smallness, it had its rights. The other was great, but in its greatness, it had no greater rights than the rights of the small because the right is the same for everyone.” – Louis Riel, Métis, Leader of the Red River Rebellion.
Nationalism: the feeling of belonging, obligation, pride, community, and similarity. It is an idea that humans crave by nature and can become so powerful amongst a population that patriotism becomes prevalent or, can be so minimal in a population that community is non-existent. There are many views on nationalism and copious ways to pursue it – but which way is most beneficial, if any? Louis Riel believed that every nation had its rights, and that no nation should hold more respect than another because of its size. It was his conviction that the Métis, in their smallness, had equal rights to that of the French, British, anglophones or francophones – as well as rights equal to those of the Hudson’s Bay Company who tried to sell the Métis land in what is now Manitoba. An approach to nationalism where nations are respected and valued equally should be pursued as Riel encouraged to promote culture, diplomacy, and progress as a united nation. Canada has many nations within it, and the uniting of nations can encourage a progressive and respectful society as well as greatly influence the quality of life for individuals of all nations.
Cultural institutions are vital to Canada’s national identity, and if there was little respect for the rights of the many nations within Canada, this melting pot society we have today would be repressed and non-existent. In a statement from HistoryPlex.com in an article detailing the importance of culture, the author writes that “culture is a bond that ties the people of a region or community together. It is that one common bond, which brings the people of a community together.” ("A Brief Overview of the Importance of Culture"). This is a significant idea as this suggests that the support and respect between various nations can influence culture and bring people together, positively impacting the prosperity of a nation-state should these ideas be obliged by promoting peace, culture, diplomacy, and progress. Louis Riel’s ideas on nationalism as aforementioned should be pursued because the impact of the relationship between nations and cultures can be established through respect and equal rights, which can leverage peace and diplomacy within a nation-state as nations become more willing to work together as the celebration of their cultures is encouraged. This may also result in cultural changes amongst involved nations that favor cultural acceptance and mediation, rather than war and discrimination.
A contrary position is that all nations should not be equal as some nations have ill motives. For instance, many nations have committed genocide, such as Canada did against the indigenous therefore the contributions of Canada on the world stage should be considered in speculation. In response to this argument, history does not define a nation’s future. Rather, a nation’s history contributes to the idea of the nation that is yet to be built – such as a Canada where the nations within have equal rights. It took many years for the Canadian government to formally apologize for the atrocious government policy that resulted in genocide, but they did with time as society changed. Society changed because it became more evident with time that oppressed nations are full of people who deserve rights equal to anyone else. The battle for equal rights for minorities and oppressed nations is ongoing, but that is why Riel’s ideas should be embraced. It must be preached that nations, no matter their size, wealth, language, or culture should be treated equally. With time, society will adapt to understand that the rights of small nations are equal to that of great nations, because “the right is the same for everyone” – Louis Riel.
Diplomacy and mediation within Canada will be easier when smaller nations have respect for the federal government and are treated equally, despite their size. Said respect must be reciprocated by the federal government to said nations for their complacency in Canada. Like any relationship, the association between a federal government and a nation within the nation-state is a two-way street; we all must respect each other no matter what language we speak or how large our society is in comparison to another and should consequently provide one another with equal rights as no nation is greater than another due to ethnicity, language, or size. It is stated by The General Assembly of the United Nations in Article 1 of the Declaration of Human Rights that, “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and right. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” ("Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations", 1948). This also suggests that there should be no difference in the relationships between nations from the relationships between humans as the equality of nations is as important as the equality of the individuals that make a nation. Pursuing equality and respect between nations as Louis Riel suggests could be beneficial to political and economic relations between nations, nation-states, and all cohesive entities as they define themselves, thus reducing war in both political and economic styles as well as improving the quality of life for all individuals. Nations will be more willing to participate in diplomatic discussions should their right be considered equal to that of the other contributors.
Progress is expedited with the participation of many minds. Embracing the idea of respecting nations within Canada and promoting equality as Riel suggested can lead to forwards societal and scientific progress such as the societal adoption of acceptance and the creation of various vaccines and medicines, as well as improve the quality of life in Canada concerning complacency and mental health as a result of decreased discrimination and alienation. Consider this example detailing the global push for vaccine distribution covered by Weatherhead Center’s Mario Jimenez in an article titled “A global Effort Accelerates SARS-Cov-2 Vaccines.” Covax is an organization concerned with the global effort of vaccine production and distribution (Jimenez, 2021). This is an example of progress being made because various nations of equal rights are working together to create and distribute vaccines through Covax. All nations involved are uniting to solve a global issue despite the differences in their cultures and societies. This is a fine example of why Riel’s ideas should be pursued because nations can work together to address global issues and accelerate progress when they have equal rights and are respected. Nations will be more willing to work with others and contribute to global issues if they are respected and have the same rights.
To what extent should we embrace Louis Riel’s ideas on nationalism? No nation should be considered less than another because it is of a different culture and size than that of the greater nation. Embracing equality amongst nations as Riel suggests will improve relations, reduce discrimination and alienation, encourage the creation of cultural institutions and promote acceptance in our societies. Equality is a difficult right to earn, but as seen repeatedly throughout history, it can be done. Rights can be won, and nations can respect each other and engage in diplomatic politics and economics rather than war.
Bibliography (APA 7th Edition):
A Brief Overview of the Importance of Culture. HistoryPlex. Retrieved 17 January 2022, from https://historyplex.com/importance-of-culture.
Jimenez, M. (2021). A Global Effort Accelerates SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines. Epicenter.wcfia.harvard.edu. Retrieved 17 January 2022, from https://epicenter.wcfia.harvard.edu/blog/global-effort-accelerates-sars-cov-2-vaccines.
Critical Challenge: Factors Affecting the Quality of Life. Learnalberta.ca. (2014). Retrieved 17 January 2022, from https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssoc9/html/factorsaffectingthequalityoflife_cc.html.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations. United Nations. (1948). Retrieved 17 January 2022, from https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.
