Contending Loyalties

CHAPTER 3 + 4
 Contending Loyalties

What does the word LOYALTY mean to you?

Write down 3 words that come to mind when

you think of loyalty.
 Loyalties and Canada

Loyalties: Things that you have a strong connection

to, things that are important and that you have an
allegiance to

Canada is a VERY large and VERY diverse country,

this means that the people here may have many
different loyalties… These can cause conflict

What might be some of the loyalties seen in Canada?

 Loyalties

These Loyalties may be Divided into two categories:

1. Nationalist Loyalties -

First Nations Loyalties, Canadian loyalties, Inuit

loyalties, Quebecois Loyalties, Loyalties to other
Nations in the world

Specific to nations. Not only countries, but recognized

nations.
 Loyalties

These Loyalties may be Divided into two categories:

1. Non-Nationalist Loyalties-

Loyalties to things that are not necessarily a “nation”

Religious loyalties, class loyalties, regional loyalties,

ideological loyalties
 Multiculturalism In Canada

Canada is committed to the idea of CULTURAL

PLURALISM- having more than one culture

This is an OFFICIAL gov’t policy here (so it’s the LAW)

We call our version of this MULTICULTURALISM.

 The idea that different cultures are accepted and promoted
Because of this Canadians may have MANY different
Loyalties and sometimes these loyalties can cause
conflict.
 Reasonable Accommodation

To attempt to address these conflicts that might occur

our government has a policy of Reasonable
Accommodation

This means that Canadian public (government)

institutions adapt to different religious or cultural
practices of minorities as long as these things don’t
violate other freedoms

This is done so that people may have their different

loyalties work together instead of coming in to conflict
 Contending Nationalist Loyalties: Case Studies

First Nations Nationalism Quebecois Nationalism

The White Paper The Quiet Revolution

The Oka Crisis The Parti Quebecois
The October Crisis
Bill 101
The Referendums
Contending Nationalist Loyalties: First Nations
 Assimilation and Marginalization

For a long time, the Canadian Gov’t attempted to

assimilate and marginalize aboriginal groups
 Residential schools, The Indian act, Treaties

Obviously this has created conflicting loyalties for

aboriginal groups in Canada

One of the main sources of Contention is based upon

land…
 Aboriginal Land Claims

Issues with land:

Some groups did not sign treaties but still have
claims to ancient land
some groups did sign treaties but have claims to land
that may not be covered
some industrial projects may affect first nations land
and first nations groups believe this must be
addressed
 Aboriginal Land Claims

 Aboriginal groups have no choice but to take these

claims to the government

This is often a loooooong, tedious, ridiculous process

that involves lawyers, government officials, and
ridiculous delays on the part of the government
James Bay settlement: 1971-2007

This has created anger, frustration and mistrust of

the Canadian Government
 Aboriginal Land Claims

James Bay settlement: 1971-2007

 Oka Crisis

These Tensions boiled over in July 1990 near the village of

Oka Quebec

The town wanted to lease some land to a company to build a

golf course… Only problem is that the Mohawk people felt
that this was THEIR land.

The Mohawk people barricaded the roads that led to this

land… held this barricade for months:
 Police tried to get them to move: police shoot, mohawk shoot, an officer is
killed
 In September 2500 soldiers moved in to destroy the barricades, again
met with fierce opposition
 September 26 the Mohawks all of a sudden surrender and the crisis ends
Oka Crisis
 A Wake Up Call

The Oka crisis shocked the country and made the

gov’t realize that they needed to do something to
RECONCILE (solve) The contending loyalties that
were felt by many first nations people.

They did two things:

 A Wake up Call

Royal Commission on Aboriginal People

 Made up of Aboriginal and non aboriginal people
 Actually LISTENED to the needs and wants of aboriginal
people:
1. Mutual recognition
2. Respect
3. Sharing
4. Responsibility
Issued a statement of Reconciliation: We’re sorry for
the awful treatment we will try to do better
Quebec and Contending
Loyalties
 Quebec Marginalized?
 The people of Quebec have, in many ways been under the control
of English speaking people since 1763 (British Empire, Canada)

 This has created strong Nationalist Loyalties for the many people
of Quebec, not to Canada or France but to Quebec! (language,
culture, geography etc).

 By the 1950’s-1960’s Quebec was a successful province but with

some problems:
 French speakers made only 40% wages compared to english speakers
 Many people choosing to speak and be educated in english
 Education and Healthcare in the Hands of the Catholic church (so
not very modern)
 Quebec and Contending
Loyalties

Throughout the 20th century there were many

Nationalist responses to the situation in
Quebec that would create contending loyalties
for Canadians
 1. The Quiet Revolution 1960’s and 1970’s

Massive changes to society led by Liberal Premiers

Jean Lesege (60’s) and Robert Bourassa (70’s)
Sought to create a strong, progressive Francophone
society to benefit the Quebecois:
 Created ministries of education and healthcare
 Nationalized key industries (quebec hydro), made new public
companies (these would be conducted in FRENCH!)
Many other examples of social, cultural, economic
growth for Quebec- These changes helped foster a
growing feeling of Nationalism
 1. The Quiet Revolution 1960’s and 1970’s

Look back at our title here: Quiet Revolution.

How do the actions of this change differ from those

of the French Revolution?

What makes this change "quiet"?

 2. So maybe Quebec is also a Nation State

In 1968 The Parti Quebecois is created by Rene Levesque

(formerly of the Liberal party)

A separatist party: Quebec should not be part of Canada

(so very NATIONALISTIC)
 The creation of this party would forever divide Quebecois into two
groups: Sovereignists and Federalists

Loved the changes of the Quiet Revolution but thought

that Quebec would still be marginalized in Canadian
society
First Ran in the 1970 election and did Very poorly…
3. The October Crisis
 3. The October Crisis

Throughout the 1960’s a Nationalist/communist

terrorist group called the FLQ (Front de libération
du Québec) had been active in Quebec (bombings,
bank robberies, vandalism) Quebec should have
sovereignty!!
In early October 1970 They kidnapped a BRITISH
government official named James Cross and
demanded the release of “political prisoners” and
that their “manifesto” be read on TV
A few days later they kidnap a Quebec Government
official named Pierre Laporte
 3. October Crisis

Prime Minister Trudeau declares the War Measures Act

in order to restore order and catch the Terrorists on
October 16 1970
 “just watch me!”
All rights suspended: curfew, military in the streets,
anybody could be stopped, searched, arrested, held in jail
October 17: Pierre Laporte found dead in the trunk of a
car
Crisis (and war measures) lasts until December when
Cross is freed in exchange for his captors being free to
leave the country…
 4. The Parti Quebecios and Bill 101

The shock of the FLQ crisis made many Quebecois

less radical, though many still sought sovereignty

In 1976 the (sovereignist) Parti Quebecois won

the Quebec Election

Pass Bill 101 (the charter of the french language)

in 1977:
• THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE
FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
 Bill 101

French is the OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (all public

institutions)
It will be VERY difficult for children to be educated
in english
Work to make French the language of business
Street signs must be in French

Anglophones reaction?
 Au revoir
Bill 101
 5. Shall we separate?

Referendum 1980 (posed by Rene Levesque) parti

quebecois:
Yes 40.44%
No 59.56% Sovereignists vs.
Federalists!
Referendum 1995:
Yes: 49.42%
No: 50.58%

**** Quebec also never signed the Canadian

Constitution!!