Shaydin's Cultural Affirmation Road Trip

Cultural Affirmation Roadtrip

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S H AY DI N S MAL L I N G Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

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CONTENTS

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What is the site/event you are visiting? Include a brief description, images, and weblink to the site.

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What group is represented by this site/event/celebration?

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How does this site/event/celebration affirm the culture, language, or identity of the representative group?

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What is the significance of the location in relation to the represented group?

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Include a map of your journey. See below

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

The Miramichi Irish Festival My 1st destination on my trip is Miramichi New Brunswick, where i will be attending the Canadian Irish festival. The festival is one that consists of cultural events and performances. These cultural events help the Canadian Irish celebrate their heritage. Families would wear green coloured clothes, or clothes with clover on it. Some people even go as far as dressing up like leprechauns. The clover/shamrock is a national flower of ireland. The shamrock was said to have been used by Saint Patrick. It was used to explain the holy trinity to non believers, this converted the Irish religion to christianity. The festival begins on july 15 and ends on july 18. This is and example of Affirmation of irish culture in canada. The irish festival is held in miramichi because miramichi population is mainly composed of irish people. The city was formed in 1955, through the combination of Newcastle, Chatham and seven smaller communities. This is an example of culture affirmation because the Irish the festivals consists of activities and events that represent irish culture. The symbol of the festival is a clover which is significant to the irish due to its historical connection to irish culture.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre My first destination is the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. This is a museum used to educate and discover Japanese culture. The Japanese Canadian Cultural museum is located in Toronto, Ontario. This museum holds many events which allow the museum to educate people in many different ways. For example the “5 Generations (Permanent)�. This is a very popular exhibit in the museum, it relates to the expearience of the japanese in the 1800’s till present day. This exhibit highlights the stories of Canadian of Japanese ancestry. Another event this museum has is the Japanese film festival. This museum hosts this film festival, which a grown into one of the largest film events. This event has become well recognized by the Japanese film industry as a way to connect Japanese film to the world. The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre is the host for many Japanese events and has help Teach and connect Canadians to the Japanese culture. The Centre even has programs such as Martial Arts, cultural classes and workshops This is an example of cultural affirmation, because the museum has programs and events that are apart of japanese culture. As Well as the artifacts such as the samurai armour, which shows how the japanese difference in law enforcer uniform is apart of their culture.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Ninstints, Haida Gwaii Island, British Columbia The Ninstints is a Canadian village site, that teaches the history of the Haida Gwaii. This site, owned by the Haida Gwaii nation consists of totem poles significant the Haida Gwaii culture. The site apart of the Gwaii Haanas national park as well as the Haida heritage site. The Ninstints village site is popular heritage site around the world, and is a well known national historical site in canada. The island the Ninstints site is located on is very remote, the only ways to access the island is though boat or plane from neighboring towns and islands. The Ninstins has one of the largest totems sites, with more totem then most other sites. The totems are surrounded by the wilderness that makes the experience seem more real. The totems there are monuments created by first nations people from the picific Northwest.There totems represent history, people ancestry, or events. The site represents first nations as well as their heritage and their culture. The site was made on the Haida Gwaii islands because the islands are first nations own islands.

The totem made on the islands relate to the land and the first nation culture. This is an example of culture affirmation, because totems poles have great significance to first nations and their culture. Totems represent the first nation groups in huge ways, and are big examples of Haida Gwaii culture.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Chinatown Memorial Monument The chinatown memorial monument that was created by a sculpture Shu-ren Cheng. This monument is dedicated towards the Canadian Chinese. The memorial shows significance to the thousands of chinese Canadian, that lived and died constructing the Trans Canada railway system. The memorial also recognizes the sacrifice of the Chinese Candian soldiers that fought in the second world war. Is shows appreciation to some of the 600 Chinese Canadians that volitered towards the war. Each of those men helped play a role in the war, and rightfully deserve to be recognized for their contributions. In this monument there’s two figures the one on the right represent Canadian Chinese that built the Trans-Canadian railway system, and the figure on the left represents the Canidian Chinese that volunteered to the second world war. This monument was unveiled on November 2, 2003. The Monument was shown in Vancouver because through the Canidian Chinese efforts they helped lead to Vancouver’s prosperity, and helped strengthen Vancouver. The location of the memorial being vancouver relates to the Chine Canadian citizens because Vancouver was a popular place between immigrants, immigrants from China started to immigrate vancouver towards the late 1800s. The Chinese Canadians labourers that immigrated in the 1800s, mostly worked on the Trans-Canada railway. The memorial has deep meaning to the second generation on Canadian Chinese, because their parents are most likely represented in the memorial. This is an example of Canadian Chinese identity affirmation, because this monument shows contribution to parts of Chinese Canadians that helped benefit Vancouver, affecting their identity in a beneficial way.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Edu-inter French School The Edu-inter French School is a school that teaches its students primarily how to speak French. French immersion school teach all their classes in french which is most of their students mother tongue, this helps individuals feel more connected to their language and culture. The school located in Quebec has helped teach many students and children how to speak french. They have French courses for teenagers and adults, that help teens and adults live and learn french. There programs welcome students from over 25 countries, where they participate in French activities. The reason French immersion schools are made in Quebec city are because Quebec is on of the only cities that offers a 100% evoirnment to their students.

Because Canadians living in Quebec mostly speak french it’s important that their are school available for the new generation to learn their mother tongue. These French immersion schools represents all french speaking Canadians and have great importance to the people of Quebec. The school affirms French Canadians language, these school affirm their language because the schools are teach French so without these school that provide French speaking environments, not only would students not be able to fully speak french but they won’t be able to experience a french environment. These help schools make Francophones proud to speak french.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Africville Museum The Africville Museum is a Museum that memorializes Nova Scotian, African history. The Africville Museum has many of the communities historical treasures, such as picture, descriptive panels, artifacts and audio-visual kiosks. The artifacts help educate people on the history of African Nova Scotians. The Museum is a replica of the church that was the heart of Africville. This church along with Africvilles building were destroyed in order to clear up space. The destruction of Africville in the1900s left the community in sorrow. Africville was a African Nova Scotian community, that was thriving in the 1960’s. The settlement of Africville dates back to 1860’s. There were few black people living in nova scotia before halifax was founded, but in the late 1800’s groups a black settlers started arrive on Nova Scotia. Those black settlers being mostly slaves that were promised freedom. However upon the black settlers arrival, they came across white settlers. It’s said that those white settlers viewed the black settlers as inferior. Due to racism the groups of black settlers were forced to in parts of the land that were not best suited to be living in.

Eventually the group of black settlers that came to Nova Scotia had developed into a very strong community. This museum is an example of Identity affirmation, because it relates to the history of African Nova Scotians and how they were affected by racism and the museum helps people on their history in Nova Scotia. This is now part of African Nova Scotians identity.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Afrofest The Ottawa Afrofest is a free african music festival, The festival attracts 120 000 visitors to celebrate African culture. Each year more and more people attend, becoming more popular canadian festival. This festival presents its attendees with the opportunity to conversate with African diaspora. Diaspora is used to relate the huge dispersion of African citizens during slave trades, from 1500’s to the 1800’s. The diaspora had taken million of people from Africa to multiple American and Carribean regions. Both African and African diaspora have a sizable population in GTA (Greater Toronto Area). The Afrofest has a huge effect on the GTA as it is an opportunity for Canadians and Americans to connect with each other. The Afrofest holds many events year around. Black History Month Concert Series, Music African Easter Celebration and the African Celebrates Canada. This festival hold events all over canada, but is most popular in Ottawa and Toronto. The Afrofest is an culture affirmation, because the festival represents and celebrates the Africans culture, and their history in Toronto.

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Map Of Road Trip

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling

Sources 1. https://www.canadasirishfest.com/ 2. https://jccc.on.ca/ 3. http://britishcolumbia.com/totem-poles-nimstints-anthony-islandhaida-gwaii/ 4. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/nationalinventory-canadian-memorials/details/7699 5. https://learningfrenchinquebec.com/ 6. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/africville-museum/2980 and https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-africville 7. https://afrofest.ca/afrofest-2018-launch/

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Cu lt u ra l Affirmation Roadtrip || Shaydin Sm a lling