The Aboriginal Diaspora

Between reading Jenny Burman’s article “Migrant Remittances” and our discussion in class this week, I have been thinking a lot about what constitutes a diaspora. We discussed in class the different types, in the sense of labour, cultural or trade, but for this entry, I want to look at a specific type of cultural group; Canadian Aboriginals. At first glance, perhaps this doesn’t fit the notion of diaspora. I would like to suggest that the current state of Aboriginal culture across Canada though, does in fact constitute such a definition.

By no means do I consider myself an expert on Aboriginal history, but I am aware that the Canadian government has made apologies for their treatment of Aboriginal people throughout history. The culture itself has faced numerous difficulties throughout the course of history. Forced assimilation, residential schools, numerous land issues, and simply an overall marginalization of Aboriginal people by the non-indigenous population, has created a rocky history between the rest of Canada and Native Americans. Still today there is a tension between non-natives and Aboriginals. Arguably, as a result of the Canadian government’s actions, Aboriginal peoples have faced a disappearing community and culture. They now sustain themselves in smaller population segments across Canada and in a sense, we may think of native people as constituting somewhat of a diaspora.

Perhaps this can be better argued by taking a look at a specific instance of communication that Aboriginals partake in. Aboriginal Voices Radio is a good example of how each mini aboriginal diaspora (spread across Canada in various locations) can maintain contact with one another and maintain their cultural identity. According to ASR, their “…mission is to provide a distinctly Aboriginal service in large urban centres where the majority of Aboriginal people now live. The Aboriginal Voices Radio network informs, enlightens, and entertains with culturally relevant Aboriginal programming for all people” (www.aboriginalvoices.com). AVR serves the same purpose as any other diasporic community across Canada. If we refer back to the reference made in class to OMNI television, and if we consider all of the foreign language programming on radio, this similarity is evident. AVR believes that “…this [the broadcasting of aboriginal voices to large Canadian cities] encourages better relationships and more understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.” (www.aboriginalvoices.com).

I brought up the Aboriginal community because I think they pose an interesting twist on the concept of diaspora that we have discussed this week. Essentially, this cultural group is a diaspora within its own native country. Though they may not constitute a typical definition of diaspora, they partake in many of the important behaviours that typical diaspora go through within their host countries. In this case, these individuals look to the land they once had, and their past heritage as their ‘homeland’. They seek to maintain their distinct history and set themselves apart from non-native Canadians in an effort to maintain their connection to the ‘homeland’. Aboriginal Voices Radio is one communicative element that helps to maintain this distinct culture. This is illustrated well in Burman’s reference to transnational social fields. These “are not metaphoric references to altered experiences of space; they comprise observable social relationships and transactions” (13). AVR fulfills this ‘social relationship’ concept that each Aboriginal diaspora seek to address. The radio’s goals demonstrate that there is a distinct cultural separation between natives and non-natives, almost suggesting a lost ownership of Aboriginal people and their homeland.

Works Cited

Burman, Jenny (2006). ‘Migrant Remittances as Diasporic Communication’. The Journal of International Communication, 12 (2): 7-18.

Aboriginal Voices Radio. Aboriginal Voices Radio Network. 2007. 1 April 2008 http://www.aboriginalvoices.com.