In the process of negotiating land claims, First Nations in British Columbia and Canada face
the challenging task of presenting a unified identity without trampling on the inevitable diversity
within their communities. This thesis explores the perceived conflict between unity and
diversity amongst Native populations. It brings together fieldwork in St6:l o territory in the
Fraser Valley of British Columbia, performance theory, and contemporary discourse surrounding
identity production at this particular point in time. The work examines performance of identity
as a form of social action and the variability of identity performances. Data was gathered from
interviews with people involved with two sites where educational programmes are being
developed for local students: Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre at Hatzic Rock, near
Mission, and Longhouse Extension Programme/ Shxwt'a:selhawtxw on St6:l o Nation grounds in
Chilliwack. The theme explored in this thesis is that just as unity is politically expedient,
diversity and its management is an important facet of the performance of identity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/8134 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Hiwasaki, Lisa |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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