Re: James Bay and Quebec Nationalism
Roberta Astroff (rastroff@vms.cis.pitt.edu)
Fri, 6 Dec 1991 16:27:00 EDT
Hi -- As a new member of NativeNet who spends most of my research time
on the issues of the rights of various nations -- particularly their
cultural rights in an increasingly internationalized economy and political
system - I would like to comment on the debate on the nature of NativeNet.
I am not Native American and was educated as an adult about the
current status, living conditions, and movements of Native Americans when
I taught in Wisconsin (my thanks to Janice and John Beaudin for their
patience and tolderance). I am now attempting to educate others through
my classes in media, national identity, and racial identity.
One advantage to taking a comparative approach to these issues is that
while EVERY nation occupies a specific place and has a specific history,
they are struggling with a system that is more than local. Thus looking
at Native American struggles, Welsh struggles, Aboriginal struggles in
Australia, etc., comparatively lets us learn about the broad systems that
work toward homogenizzation and assimilation. I agree with those on the
network, though, who say that (in my own words) comparison should not equal
simplification and reduction. That is, NO, the Quebecois nationalist
movement and experience is not the same as that of the Chippewa/Ojibwa or
Cree, etc. However, those nationalists (Welsh, Catalan, Quebecois, etc.)
who have indeed paid attention to the struggles of other peoples are less
inclined to repress other peoples.
So, to sum up -- the particularity of the Native American experience
should never disappear from our sight, and local action is obviously
important, but there are political and strategic benefits from keeping an
eye on what is happening to others.
Sorry for the lousy typing. My thanks to Lisa Mitten for telling me about
the network.
Roberta Astroff
Dept. of Communication
Univeristy fo Pittsburgh
rastroff@pittvms.bitnet