Blog 4: Cultural Diversities Derived from the Era of Colonization

During the era of colonization, the perception of gender roles and diversities from Aboriginal societies diverged with the European powers, where indigenous peoples expressed more fluid and equal roles between genders, rather than the patriarchal structures imposed by the colonizers. The work of literature Gender and Diversity in Early Contact Period, written by Keough & Campbell, TV series Trans in Trumpland: Idaho, directed by Tony Zosherafatain, and Indigiqueer artist Glenn Gear show how gender identities are perceived through their work, and how problems with cultural diversity still arise today despite originating from the colonisers’s first encounters with aboriginal peoples. This essay will delve into the colonisers’ patriarchal and paternalistic ideologies , contrasted to the aboriginal’s. Following with the gender roles and differences between aboriginal peoples and colonisers, expressing ideas from works of art by Keough, Campbell and Zosherafatain. Combined with Glenn’s remarkable works of art which express indigenous culture, these works of art promote gender diversity and inspire a world free of discrimination and hatred. 

With the arrival of the French and English newcomers to the “new world”, so came their social, religious and cultural systems of their homelands, which includes their “dominant” understanding of gender.  As seen in Gender and Diversity in Early Contact Period, written by Keough & Campbell, colonisers imposed strict patriarchal structures upon the indigenous peoples, which they contrary believed that people share equal roles between gender. Such toxic patriarchal structures harboured by the European powers consists of men being all powerful, men having firm control over the household and over their partner(s) and justifying their actions by using religion. This is shown when Father Paul Le Jeune, a Jesuit missionary, tried persuading a Montagnais family to send their son to catholic school, but was denied when the boy’s mother stepped in to intervene. (16, Keough and Campbell) This denial put the missionary in astoundment because a woman had shown power and withstood him, which was unknown to him. This is seen in Keough & Campbells writing “The power exercised by Aboriginal women within their families was unfamiliar and disturbing to the French missionaries, who upheld a patriarchal religious and family system that rested on the God-Given authority of men ”. (16, Keough and Campbell) As seen through this quotation, the french missionary’s view on gender and the aboriginal woman’s clashed when the woman spoke up. This reinforces how gender relations vary from one culture to another.  

The aboriginal views on gender diversity and religion were much more fluid and more free than those of the europeans’, which caused conflict between the races. The conflict consisted of the Europeans imposing their ideologies onto the aboriginals way of life, and ultimately undermining their culture and gender diversity. Jesuit missionaries tried establishing “normal” gender relations among Aboriginal men and women, and were met with resistance.( 27, Keough and Campbell) We see through this quotation “ … the missionaries me with resistance from some women who saw Christian ideology as under-mining their power.(27, Keough and Campbell), that aboriginal gender traditions are being challenged. The aboriginal woman feels discriminated against because men already benefit economically and through trade, and undermining her power would only put her in a worse position. Gender and cultural differences between the aboriginal and the colonisers are complex and multifaceted. Even though the European powers imposed their values and patriarchal ideologies, the indigenous peoples met them with resistance to protect their more fluid and free views on gender and way of living. European powers desired total culture dominance and complete obedience from the indigenous groups, despite having a culture of their own. 

Today, Indigenous peoples’ cultures still thrive on inclusivity as they did during the era of colonization, and yet several restrictive changes in mainstream American culture limit that inclusivity and denounce the values that indigenous peoples lived by. The TV series “Trans in Trumpland: Idaho”, directed by Tony Zosherafatain, shows how American culture is in the process of rejecting diversity within the military and started implementing bans to people who identify as trans. We watch Trumpland:Idaho through the perspective of Shane Ortega, a Two-spirited  individual who is valued in their community. But as America is implementing bans to trans people in the military, he had to resign from his position. Despite learning the atrocities committed by the colonizers during their time of reign, America seems to have learned nothing and continues to grow less accepting of people’s identities as time goes on. Like the military, people who identify as trans and other similar groups are being policed from entering certain types of work, which have nothing to do with their identity. Indigiqueer artist Glenn Gear advocates towards the acceptance of cultural identity and is devoted to promoting a more accepting and inclusive culture. His work involves advocating for the recognition of indigenous peoples culture and the importance of preserving traditions for future generations. Both Glenn and Tony advocate for cultural acceptance through their works of art by showcasing them to the public, with the desire to raise awareness to people’s identities and cultures. 

Ultimately, societies today are still tolerating and accepting the European power’s efforts to relinquish the indigenous people’s cultures and gender identities from hundreds of years ago. Between the article “Gender and Cultural Diversity in the Early Contact Period”, the documentary “ Trans In Trumpland: Idaho” and Glenn Gear’s works of art, efforts in making today’s societies more accepting of different cultures and identities are not being accepted. The stigmas created from the era of colonization are still kept in today’s society and it has done nothing but deny people’s identity and ideologies. Knowing that today’s way of thinking hasn’t changed since the colonizers set it, we should embrace our past and set to change our views on acceptance. Incorporating indigenous culture into our daily lives will only give us a more open-minded mindset and will lead to the acceptance of everyone, as it should be. An ideal world where no one is afraid or penalized for being themselves.

The Perception Of Blackness

Pasqual Vassetta

Blog 3: The Perception of Blackness

For centuries, people of color have borne the weight of unspeakable suffering and unimaginable hardships. The perception of blackness as inferior was not natural, but rather a constructed ideology founded and shaped throughout history by white supremacists. They established this ideology to uphold their dominance against people of other races and to preserve their own authority. Alongside the growth of European colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade, these white ideas developed, promoting racial injustice for the oppressed and marginalized peoples. Because of the historical oppression people of color have faced, notions of inferiority, subjugation and dehumanization have been forcefully given to people of color, through no fault of their own. Jordan Peele’s film “Get Out” and Desmond Cole’s novel “The Skin We’re In” are two works of art which offer profound explorations of how people of color are negatively perceived because of prejudices and stereotypes put in place centuries ago. “Get Out” confronts the insidious nature of racism and cultural appropriation through the protagonist Chris, a young black man, while “The Skin We’re In” highlights systemic racism and its impact of black Canadians through its protagonist and surrounding community. Although people of color have a voice today, systemic racism still lingers, and notions of inferiority still plague the black community due to their unsettling history of oppression.

Colonialism refers to the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of colonies by foreign powers. European powers did more than that. Not only have they deprived black people of their autonomy, but also have assimilated their culture and way of living. The European colonialism, spanning from the 15^th to 20^th century, devasted black communities by imposing their rule over African territories and implemented discriminatory laws that denied them basic rights and freedoms. Colonialism deprived black people of their culture by imposing their own cultural norms and values. People of color were forcibly taken from their communities and sold into slavery. Said enslaved people were forced to work on plantations, mines and used as domestic servants, working countless hours without a salary. This degrading work wrongfully led Black people to unwillingly adopt notions of ignorance and inferiority which still lingers today as stereotypes. People of color have been commodified, exploited, and objectified through no fault of their own.  Black bodies were treated as objects and used for labour without regard for their humanity as depicted in Peele’s work. In “Get Out” the Armitage family hosts an auction during their party. The auction has the wealthy white people bidding on buying Chris and other people of color without their knowledge, which they will later go through a procedure to take control of the black body. This scene is a commentary on how people of power view and treat black people as commodities to be owned and controlled. The auction scene mirrors the historical reality of slavery, where black people were bought and sold as property. The auction scene also portrays the dehumanization of black people. To the wealthy buyers, people of color we’re bought for their physical attributes and capabilities. There was no regard for their dignity or humanity, black bodies we’re valued on how well they could serve their master, exactly how European colonialists treated their slaves.

Stereotypes of being inferior and less than human arose from colonial times and depicted thoroughly through the auction scene in the movie. Scenes of cultural appropriation are also present throughout the movie. An example of this is seen through Dean Armitage, the neurosurgeon, as he expresses his admiration for black physicality by repeatedly praising Chris’ physique and physical attributes. The dean objectifies Chris and reduces him to a stereotype of black physicality and fetishizing his body for his own admiration. Dean similarly resembles the colonizers of the colonial era, where white oppressors use and appropriate black bodies for their own amusement, completely disregarding them as human. The ultimate act of culture appropriation occurs when Dean attempts to put an elder white man’s brain into Chris’s Body. This scene symbolizes the extreme acts to which Dean is willing to go to appropriate black bodies and identities for his own benefit. Through this scene, we watch Dean commodifying black bodies and using them for his benefit, similarly done by the colonizers from the colonial era. We also see black artifacts and antiquities around the Armitage household. Dean and the Armitage family collect black artifacts to use as “decorations” around his house. This is another form of black culture appropriation because the “decorations” are only seen for their appearance and aesthetic enjoyment, without genuine understanding and respect for the cultural significance behind them. This is similar to when colonizers bought and traded black bodies because the colonizers only cared about their slave’s capabilities and appearance, completely disregarding their culture and their souls within their bodies. Through both the Armitage family in “Get Out” and colonizers of the colonial era, we see that black bodies we’re valued by their capabilities, completely underlying their traditions, culture, experiences and lives. They have used black bodies for their own benefit and gratification, while simultaneously oppressing and exploiting their race. Examples of Dean fetishizing black bodies, seeking their bodies for his own benefit, and collecting black artifacts illustrate the appropriation of black culture throughout “Get Out”.

Due to the lingering effects slave the slave trade had on black culture, people of color are plagues with stereotypes and prejudices. White supremacists forged these stereotypes centuries ago and they still withstand till this day. Despite progressing towards equality, stereotypes are deeply ingrained alongside black identity which manifests various forms of discrimination and systemic inequality. Black individuals are unfairly perceived as inherently dangerous and prone to criminal behavior, this stereotype not only negatively influences the public perception but also areas such as law enforcement and criminal justice. People of color are disproportionately targeted and are more prone to being mistreated compared to their white counterparts. Desmond Cole shows incidences of racial profiling and police harassment experienced by black individuals in Canada through his novel “The Skin We’re In”. In the first chapter, the protagonist recounts the incident of police discrimination that took place on New Year’s Eve. A young black artist named John Samuels hosted an art gallery on New Year’s Eve. Violent police officers disrupted the event when they forcefully entered without a warrant and used force on John without provocation. The quotation “According to John, police had disrupted the gathering he was hosting, then repeatedly jolted him with a taser while his stunned guests admonished the police and filmed the attack on their cellphones”. (Cole, 4) This scene shows how police officers used brute force on an innocent man. The police had also smashed the storefronts windows and harassed John for numerous months before the incident. John had also applied for an alcohol permit so he can serve alcohol to his guests during the event. The permit was never warranted, and officials revoked the alcohol before the police officers came. The police officers were discriminating John and showed excessive force without a good reason. This shows how corrupt cops in today’s society believe ancient stereotypes about people of color and mistreat them. “The police attacks on John was calculated and it fits the pattern of disproportionate uses of force against Black people in general”. (Cole, 6) is a quote which further implies how oppressors use disproportionate force against black people; in this case, it was the police officers. The justice system in Canada is unfair that way. The protectors of peace which the government fund are using disproportionate force against marginalized groups which warranted no signs of criminality. People of color have gained a loud voice of reason to fight for freedom since colonial times, but they are still being oppressed and treated like their enslaved ancestors. “The Skin We’re In” sheds light on many forms of criminal injustice and mistreatment experienced by black people in Canada, attracting attention to the urgent need for social justice reform and systemic change. Cole’s work serves as a powerful critique of racism and prejudice in Canadian culture as well as a call to action and unity in the struggle for racial equality.

Ultimately, the perception of blackness has been forged by white supremacists during the era of colonialism. Their ancient ideology of superiority over marginalized races are still prevalent in now. Systemic injustices and unequal rights are still being fought for by people of color, a fight that may never resolve. The works of art “Get Out” by Jordan Peele and “The Skin We’re In” by Desmond Cole spread light to cultural appropriation by non-white peoples and ingrained stereotypes which are prevalent in todays world. For centuries, people of color have strove for equality and despite being more accepted, still receive countless prejudiced and micro-aggressions today. The fight for freedom isn’t over until it is achieved.

Blog 1: Societal Views on Masculinity

Masculinity in today’s day and age has been poised by stereotypes and stigmas. Where showing more feminine characteristics and traits are frowned upon and men who are not “masculine” are usually oppressed and told that their way of thinking is wrong. Men also tend to hide their emotions and are scared to show vulnerability because they fear they will be seen as weak and are afraid of how others will view them if they show emotion. Showing more feminine characteristics and showing emotions doesn’t make men any less masculine, although that is how it is seen in today’s world. These negative stigmas surrounding masculinity are not true and are seen in “Guy’s Club” a short story written by Gomez, and “Invincible”, a short story produced by “UnisTV”. In both works of art, the main characters’ emotions are oppressed by their surroundings and are kept from showing their true emotions because of external factors which unable them to be themselves.

            “Invincible” takes us through the last 48 hours of the protagonist’s, Marc-Antoine Bernier’s, life. Marc spends his week at a youth center, where he is not only kept captive from the outside world, but also from seeking the help he needs. The youth center is meant to help him become a better person, but as his struggle with depression worsens, he is unable to ask for help and is left isolated. Marc stays underwater during his pool sessions at the youth center because it temporarily frees him from his problems. When he’s underwater, he feels temporary relief from his problems and feels free from his mind. Marc shows his struggles with depression throughout the whole movie, but the scene where Marc ignites his lighter under his hand and tells his sister he is invincible, ultimately shows his lack of feeling and how neglected he really is. He is loved by his family but doesn’t feel it. His mind is paralyzed and left unsupported by people around him. He is mentally neglected, and he doesn’t know how to ask for help. His pleads for help are left unseen and his emotions are drowned out by his mental issues. The movie’s ending is shown at the beginning, where Marc drives a stolen vehicle into a lake after hearing his mother’s voice for the last time. The ending shows how men’s emotions and problems are often neglected and disregarded until its too late. Marc wrote a poem about his struggles with depression, and he will never heal from it. The youth center’s response to his poem was to disregard marc’s poem and moved on to the next class. This shows how Marc tried to express how he feels inside but his feelings were neglected. Marc took his life because he could never feel happiness, his pleads for help were unanswered. Today, men’s suicide rate has gone up tremendously because of their horrible mental health. Stigmas revolving around how men shouldn’t show emotions, should toughen up and how asking for help is shown as weak are all reasons that contribute to those high suicide rates. Marc plead for help throughout the movie and his pleads were left unseen and disregarded, which led him to feel completely isolated and beyond help, until he took his life. Situations like Marc’s in the real world often go unnoticed because men feel like they are unable to get help. They may believe they are not curable of their mental disorder and suffer in silence. In 2024, as a society have acknowledged that mental health disorders are sicknesses, and we are able to seek help relatively easily compared to before.

In “Guys Club”, the protagonist’s feminine characteristics and tendencies and exploration in sexuality are oppressed by his peers and his environments. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist paints his nails because he was mesmerized by his sister’s and aunt’s nails. His aunt warned him and said “I guess you’ll have to learn the hard way” (Gomez, 65) . He later gets bullied and mistreated by other boys while playing soccer, calling the protagonist derogatory terms, and was made fun of. This really hurt the protagonist because he didn’t fully understand what was happening. To the protagonist, he though his nails were pretty, and he just wanted to show off his nails. He doesn’t understand the line between masculinity and femininity, and his innocence is punished with negative repercussions. In today’s world, society has become more open and accepting to males showing feminine traits.    The protagonist also struggles to express his sexuality to his peers and his family reject his sexuality. He told his stepmom that he is gay, and she just dismissed it. When the dad was told he went to the nightclub on boys’ night, the protagonist had to quickly reassure his dad that it was on accident, in fear of being judged. Throughout the story, the protagonist constantly must dismiss and reject his own sexuality because it isn’t acceptable to those around him. In today’s world, expressing your sexuality is encouraged and social media has helped people know that they can identify as the gender and sexuality they associate themselves with. Society has grown to be more open-minded and to accept everyone as they are. If the protagonist’s society was like the real world’s today, the protagonist could have felt less alone and would have had more accepting peers to be with.

Both works of art have shown us struggles regarding masculinity. In Marc’s situation, his pleads for help go unanswered and his emotions we’re neglected by his family, youth center counselors and other kids. As for the protagonist in guys club, he hides his sexuality and rejects it in fear of being reprimanded and cast aside. Both stories express the difficulties men have to face because of the “masculine” image they have to be like. To show emotion, be vulnerable and express your sexuality doesn’t make you any less “manly”, it makes you human. These stories showed me how negatively society acts towards people who are different, and I don’t want to be apart of that society. Thankfully in today’s world, expressing yourself sexually is much more accepting than what it used to be. These stories made me reflect on how we shouldn’t treat anybody differently because they are different than us, but instead invite them into our lives as equals. Just because a man doesn’t fit the masculine image society has portrayed for us, doesn’t mean we’re any less of a man.