Canoe Nation ─ Nature, Race, and the Making of a Canadian Icon

In the summer of 2007, the CBC declared the canoe to be one of the
Seven Wonders of Canada. More than an ancient means of transportation
and trade, it has come to represent a vision of Canada that encompasses
our past and present. It stands for cultural tradition, commerce,
recreation, nature, and even political protest.

In Canoe Nation, Bruce Erickson chronicles the story of the
canoe in the Canadian imagination. He argues that the canoe's
sentimental power has come about through a set of narratives that
attempt to legitimize a particular vision of Canada - including
this country's history of colonialism and industrialization
- and explores how the canoe shifted from being an
industrial-economic vehicle in the fur trade to its contemporary place
as a recreational vessel. From Alexander Mackenzie to Grey Owl to
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the canoe has been overvalued as a connection
to the "nature" of Canada. Examining voyageur
re-enactments, turn-of-the-century sportsman stories, and the
subsequent "greening" of the canoe, this book shows how
this symbol authenticates Canada's reputation as a tolerant,
environmentalist nation, even when there is evidence to the contrary.
Ultimately, the stories we tell about the canoe need to be understood
as moments in the ever-contested field of cultural politics.

Bruce Erickson is an assistant professor in the
Department of Geography at York University in Toronto.

Bruce Erickson is an assistant professor in theDepartment of Geography at York University in Toronto.