Ticia R. Grant June, 1, 2011 Bridging Course for Women Assignment #2 Course Director: Brenda L. Blondeau The Consequence of Cultural Identity To understand the significant effect that our cultural background has on our identity, we must acknowledge the advantages provided by the sense of unity, of belonging to something bigger, and of collectively sharing a heritage with others. In contrast, someone who feels disconnected with said heritage might feel deprived of that highly sought after sense of belonging, which in turn can lead to a feeling of not knowing who they should e, a lack of identity. It is the causes and effects of this conflict that Apryl Gladue describes in her writing, and she makes the clear argument that the cycle of deprivation of her predecessor’s native culture is likely to keep repeating itself. This, in essence, is cause of the mourning of “paper” Indians. Gladue coins this term “paper Indians” which she uses to refer to Native Americans who have learned their culture only through classes, in school and on paper. The term is also meaningful in the sense that according to overnment documentation, she is of Native status; however she was not raised or brought up as such. In addition to outlining the difficulties she has faced in losing her mother and her connection to her heritage, she also speaks of her triumphs despite her crises of identity. To quote Gladue on page 206 she writes “Unsure of how to make my way in the world, I soon formed my own identity in academics. ” I believe this was a defining and transitional time for Gladue, as she no longer identified herself as being either white or
Native but rather as a part of the academic community, wherein nationality, creed, gender, social status and even age are often overshadowed by an individual’s intellect and ability. She describes being admitted to the legal bar and pursuing a career as a civil servant as legal counsel to the DIAND, as a way of contributing her own ideas of law and policy concerning Natives in Canada, however she plainly expresses that despite her efforts she never felt like she “fit in” within her own community. This feeling of etachment, seemingly all stems back to never having been raised by a Native, as a Native, and it is this loss that plainly illustrates the permanency of this damaging cycle. I can definitely relate with the entire notion of feeling disconnected from my own culture, as I was also raised without a parent. I was raised by my mother, who was many ethnicities, but my father, who was born in Quito, Ecuador, left when I was very young. While I did learn some of the Spanish language, I was never brought up within the traditional Latin culture.
Instead I was raised here, within western society and denied the opportunity to experience that part of who I am. I am reminded of this everyday by my boyfriend who was born in Spain, and his mother, who we currently reside with. The differences in cultural behaviours and beliefs are immense, especially with regards to morality and family, in comparison to what I was taught to believe and how I was raised. To many people my features appear Hispanic, and when asked of my background I always answer “Spanish” because I do see it as part of my identity, but In terms of feeling ike I belong to the Spanish culture, I am sad to say that for me it is a reality that I will never know. The best I can do is listen to the music and learn the language to speak the native tongue of my father, who I never really knew. It is only then that I feel connected to him, to my culture and to that “something bigger” that we all seem to yearn for, however it is vital that we recognize that there are many other ways to define ourselves. References Apryl Gladeau, A Culture of Loss Canadian Woman Studies (Volume 26 3,4) pg 204- 207, 2008
