Imperialism, Colonialism and Structural Violence: Am Example of the Resistance of Piapot and Big Bear to Reserve Settlement
Name
Carla M. Kennedy
Type of Resource
text
Genre
Thesis
Abstract
--Description taken from "Imperialism, Colonialism and Structural Violence"--
During the 19 century, British imperialism and Canadian colonialism aspired to subdue,
subjugate and assimilate the Plains Cree (cf. Tobias 1992:148). This particular brand of
colonialism employed Indian policy - a form ofstructural violence—rather than military force. I
argue that structural violence was both legitimized and supported by cultural violence. The
distortion of history is a prime example of cultural violence. That Canada followed an honorable
and just policy in its dealings with Plains Indians (cf. Tobias 1983:519) is the contemporary
residue of a myth created during colonial times in political circles to justify the dispossession of
Aboriginal lands and resources.
In the 19l Century, Cree leaders, Piapot and Big Bear, who were perceived as threats to
Canadian "progress," were routinely publicly maligned. The "official" historical literature often
uncritically reflected these prevalent ethnocentric views ofthe day. Critical historical theorists,
however, have offered a number of opposing views. This thesis focuses attention on the
literature which takes a more critical and culturally informed approach to Canadian nationbuilding. It places a discussion ofstructural constraints at the centre of an exploration ofthe
strategies Plains leaders used to resist a variety ofIndian policies including reserve settlement.