Charles G.D. Roberts' "Kinship"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes a poem by Charles G.D. Roberts, "Kinship," that encapsulates the privations of Native Canadians during the latter stages of the nineteenth century. Specifically, the paper discusses how native Canadians found themselves marginalized in the Canada of that time - and how Charles G.D. Roberts, while progressive in his empathy and feeling for the plight of Canada's aboriginal population, nonetheless sees this segment of the nation's population through a European lens.

From the Paper:

"In late nineteenth century Canada, the question of what to do with the nation's natives was one that preoccupied policy-makers. Simply put, here was a large number of men and women (and children) whose traditional habits, attitudes, modes of living, and religious sentiments were well outside the mainstream of Canadian society. The end result, as grimly noted in an online report sponsored by the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center, was for the Canadian government to pursue a policy that forcibly remade Native Canadians in the image of their European counterparts ("Our Way," para.5-6). This meant, for all intents and purposes, the imposition of policies that undermined traditional native culture, the creation of the Industrial and Boarding School Systems and the abolition of religious ceremonies and dances."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Our Way." Government Indian Policy in Canada, History. 1975. Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center. 21 May 2007 <http://www.sicc.sk.ca/saskindian/a75our06.htm>
• Roberts, Charles G.D. "The Book of the Native: Kinship." Canadian Poetry: Confederation Poets. 1896. D.M.R. Bentley. 21 May 2007 <http://www.uwo.ca/english/canadianpoetry/confederation/roberts/book_of_the_native/kinship.htm>

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