Hello everyone,

I’m Sashini Weerasundara, a fourth year psychology student who is excited to take this course and delve into the English world, through the context of Canadian literature.  Although I am not as familiar with Canadian literature, as I grew up in the United States (Colorado), I am eager to learn.  Hopefully through discussions and conversational interactions with you guys (my classmates) I hope to invoke and inspire new thoughts, ideas, and interpretations of texts, I never would have thought before.  I suppose that is the best way to learn, from each other! I know that with our different backgrounds, we can bring in diverse ideas and new ways of thinking.  I hope to learn more about Canadian literature, as I have lived here for four years now, and consider Canada my home. Oh Canada!

What motivated me to take this course, is my background.  I am Sri Lankan, and our country has faced British colonization, and to this day, reel in the repercussions of their involvement: dismantling of our culture, changing the official language and the way we communicate, (at one point in history) as well as some practices, stories and our way of life being forgotten. Yet, many people in Sri Lanka are unaware of the damage caused by colonization, and are brainwashed into believing it was for the greater good.   As a Canadian citizen, I hope  to understand the indigenous background in Canada, to really know the place I live historically through the context of literature and story telling. Often times, we learn things through a colonial perspective, and through this course, I am hoping to learn the impact indigenous culture has in modern society, and understand Canada, through the eyes and ears of the Indigenous people of Canada.

As I was browsing the course syllabus, what caught my attention was learning about the oral traditions of the indigenous people. The way of life, from where to gather food, to spirituality was passed down generation to generation via oral story telling. Also, what I am interested in learning is how oral story telling was impacted by Canadian nationalism, and the direction literature took.  I fundamentally believe, the best way to understand the historical context of Canada, is to understand history before colonialism, and the adaptations made (or forced…really), once Canada became a colonial home.

Anyways, I am excited to interact with all of you, and learn more about Canadian literature through an indigenous perspective.

Warm regards,

Sashini