This is my inaugural post in any blog, and is both a requisite of an exploratory course at UBC and a chance to explore my own personal expression of story telling.
Our course, ENGL 470A, combines social media, networking, peer review, and an in depth analysis of the Canadian narratives that have forged our identity as a nation. Our youth and diversity as a country lead us to rely heavily on our folklore, storytelling, and literature to define our identity. Coast to coast we are united by our endurance and mobility in adapting to change, but we are often divided by histories of colonization, war, culture and climate.
The diversity of Canadians is perhaps our greatest asset, giving us multiple views that can be used for problem solving. I doubt I am alone in expressing concerns about our current national dialogue. This Statistics Canada article from 2007 states that over the past century ten aboriginal languages have been entirely lost to Canadians. We are losing culturally distinct narratives and ethos alongside our languages.
Language, whether it be nuanced by local variations or entirely distinct in etiology, is critical for communication. We are multilingual, not only in French and English, but also in Chiac, Métis, Inuktituk, and many others. Simple put – we must elucidate how to better communicate in culturally relevant ways. Once we can establish a strong dialogue we can better address the challenges we encounter, from inequality and discrimination to international affairs and aid.
A wise man once told me that no-one is boring if you ask the right questions. Everyone has a story to tell. I am personally interested in how the dialogue between patients and physicians varies on who is in either role. Cultural clashes, miscommunication, paternalism, prejudice, and racism are all represented in our medical system. A higher value for storytelling (and listening) is crucial to effective, equal and excellent healthcare for all. I suggest tuning in to Dr. Brian Goldman to explore some of the current issues in the Canadian medical world.
As a brief aside I feel obliged to quickly mention censorship and the sciences, as an example that other Canadian narratives are actively silenced as well. I’ll no doubt return to this topic later on.
The goal of our course, as I understand it, is to survey Canadian literature, link-storm, and collaborate with our peers to address the future of Canadian narratives such that all voices can be represented. Stories are powerful and can shape the way we live our lives and how we interact with others. It is apparent that we are here to share and learn and in doing so we can contribute to a much larger conversation about our country.
I commend you for making it to the end of my post, and I look forward to learning from, debating with, reading about, and working with you all!
About me:
My name is Duncan MacGillivray, I’m a proud Maritimer and purveyor of stories. Currently I 
am graduate student in Paediatrics – attempting to better grasp how the development of the immune system and how to harness this knowledge to better inform disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The lab I work in is primarily focused on research for further vaccine development to target at risk populations. This is a fairly hot-topic, and I am happy to entertain any comments or discussion.
I studied both biology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of New Brunswick, graduating with a BA and a BSc in 2011. I’ve spend time travelling, volunteering, and working throughout Canada, West Africa, and Argentina. My primary interests are in playing outside, preserving our wild spaces, and improving human health both within Canada and beyond.
Links & References:
Chung, Emily. “Muzzling of federal scientists widespread, survey suggests” CBC News 21 Oct 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014
White Coat Black Art. CBC 2014. Web. 7 Jan 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/whitecoat/episode/>
Kollmann Lab. 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://cfri.ca/kollmann-lab/home>
Norris, Mary Jane. “Aboriginal Languages in Canada: Emerging Trends and Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition.” Canadian Social Trends 83 (2007): 20–28. Print.
Postscript – Any feedback is highly valued. Have at me with comments, concerns, and criticisms.
Hi Duncan!
I remember when my professor in my LING 100 class back in first year told us about dying languages. Before that, I never thought of languages being able to die or go extinct – that they have a life. It was an eye opener.
Also wow! Paediatrics! Before coming into university, I always thought I would end up in the medical field and possibly work as a paediatrician so to hear you’re working towards my old dreams brings back memories 🙂 I wish you all the success in the world!
Thanks so much! So far I am pretty buried in my studies but am mostly enjoying myself =)
All the best,
Duncan
Hi Duncan – some interesting links and insights – thanks. Here is another link to the “silencing of science” story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fisheries-and-oceans-library-closings-called-loss-to-science-1.2486171. The closing of libraries and archives is happening right across Canada – and the comments below the article you linked are most telling in terms of realizing an interesting nuance of distrust of scientists. Your lab work looks interesting too -I am happy to have your expertise in the class. I have a friend who teaches Medical Ethics, and he uses story to teach doctors how to read patient narratives – I find his work very interestingly related to my engagement with story. It is fascinating how many doctors are also short story writers: Wikipedia provides a huge list through the ages under Physician Writers. I have a dear old friend who is the chair of the Philosophy department at the University of New Brunswick: ROBERT SCOTT STEWART, Ph.D. – We both teach for the Semester At Sea Global Studies program. I look forward to working with you – thanks, Erika
Hi Erika!
Thanks for the reply, and sorry for the delay in getting back to it. I am almost chained to my lab bench!
The silencing of scientists in Canada is an almost unique situation, much to the shock of our neighbours to the south. Such muzzling would never be accepted there – as research is funded by the government and it is “for the people” there is an obligation to report data and results. For progress in nearly any field the American model provides a faster and more results oriented research model. It is additionally sad that American researchers are beginning to withdraw from collaborations with Canadians as we do not control whether or not we can release (or publish) our results.
I am interested in your friend in Medical Ethics. I have thought for some time that there is a breakdown in communication between many Pts and MDs, so I am happy to hear someone is working on better understanding of Pt narratives.
All the best,
duncan
Hi Duncan,
Thank you for your insightful post. I was most intrigued by your discussion of the loss of Aboriginal languages over the century. It made me think back to a passage I read in Chamberlin’s (2003) book, If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories, about a Cayuga chief who translated The Great Law of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois stories and songs) from Cayuga into English. His intentions were to increase the accessibility of Aboriginal cultural narratives to the younger Aboriginal generations who did not speak Cayuga. At first, I thought it was a wonderful way to preserve Iroquois heritage, in that it serves as an avenue to re–engage and expose youth to cultural–specific values and traditions. However, I now realize that such a view is far too simplistic. When Chamberlin asks, “Was the Great Law true when told in another language? Are there gradations of truth” (Chamberlin 22)? He questions the practicality of retaining the true meaning of text when translating Cayuga into English. Inevitably, there will be linguistic challenges in translating Cayuga phrases and sentences into English. Are there directly equivalent terms in English for Cayuga words? Does Cayuga text imply both literal and figurative translations? How can literary devices – metaphors, similes, irony, assonance, epithet – be preserved after translation? But if the Chief were to preclude the translation of The Great Law into English, would he be responsible for restricting youth from fully absorbing their culture? Perhaps it is this conflict, between language and culture, that has proven fatal for those 10 Aboriginal languages.
Chamberlin, Edward. If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground. Toronto: AA. Knopf. 2003. Print.