Can There Be Inclusive ‘Canadian Heritage’? The Cases of Indigenous and Official Language Minority Heritage
摘要
This chapter asks what ‘inclusivity’ means in the context of a multicultural Canadian heritage landscape through the study of language legislation and practice. The two case studies analysed in this chapter include Anglophones as a language minority in Quebec and the Dehcho First Nations in the Northwest Territories. More specifically, the author examines English and French textbooks approved by Quebec’s Ministry of Education for the Geography, History and Citizenship Education primary school curriculum in Quebec and an on-the-land Dene Zhatié language immersion programme in the Dehcho Region to explore these issues. Quebec passed the Act Respecting the Laicity of the State in 2019, reflecting the desire to preserve Québecois nationhood. However, Anglophones, religious and Indigenous minorities, and recent immigrants are on the receiving end of these laws as well as Francophones, and the legal trends further perpetuate the marginalisation of these communities already reflected in Quebec heritage. On the other hand, Canadian language and cultural policies are beginning to reflect the need for Indigenous inclusion, though Indigenous-led heritage initiatives are a consequence of both government successes and failures. The presented cases show the incongruencies in concepts of inclusion across Canada and the consequences these have for broader heritage preservation nationwide.