Local panel takes deep dive into the nature of patriotism

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on March 4, 2025.

A famous Molson Canadian commercial from 25 years ago is probably one of the most well-known demonstrations of Canadian patriotism, but what exactly is patriotism, and is it good or bad?
That was the question for a panel of four University of Lethbridge professors last week. The topic has been in the forefront of both the news and popular culture in general in recent weeks, due in large part to threats of tariffs against Canada from U.S. President Donald Trump and talk of Canada being “the 51st state.”.
Patriotism is derived from the Greek word patretes, which means “fellow countryman” or “lineage member,” and the root of the word translates to fatherland.
John von Heyking, professor of political science at the University of Lethbridge, says this paternalistic connotation is why it has stuck over the centuries.
“Our obligations to our county are, in some ways, analogous to the inequality that we have in trying to repay our obligations to our parents.”
Elder Mike Bruised Head (Ninna Piiksii-Chief Bird) says patriotism was brought over by the Europeans and he believes patriotism is superficial at best. He adds Indigenous people don;’t see themselves as Canadians first, or even Albertan.
“Front and foremost I am Kainaiwa and I’m Blackfoot, and if you go to any of the 664 tribes across Canada, they will identify with their tribe.”
Why is that? Bruised Head says, since the first settlers came, Indigenous people have been treated as outsiders.
“How can we be patriotic when monarchy, colonization eradicating everything, took our sovereignty away?” he asks.
With the continuation of segregation in society, Bruised Head asks how people can celebrate their country while they continue to participate in discrimination.
“It’s like Canada Day, everyone sets up their lawn chairs and there’s fireworks. We actually just want to see the fireworks, because right next to you on either side of your lawn chair, you have people that kind of push their chairs away because of racism and segregation. How can it be Canada Day for everybody?”
Still, while Indigenous people may not consider themselves patriotic, Bruised Head says they have no problem celebrating accomplishments, especially when it comes to Indigenous people.
“When we’re proud of something, we visualize or target that right there, rather than the whole.”
An example of this is why so many Indigenous people chose to fight in the First Second World Wars. It was not an act of nationalism, it wasn’t for the government, but it was for their land, which they believed was the source of life itself.
Bruised Head, whose ancestors served in the wars, says their victory was short-lived when they got back home.
“I had great uncles in (the First World War and the Second World War) and…when they came back, they were all forced to give up their treaty rights and lose all their reserve status here.”
Susan Dieleman, associate professor of philosophy, says patriotism can be a good thing, but we have to tread carefully.
“It can be a good thing if we conceive of it carefully, if we think about, reflect on and talk about what it is that we are being patriotic to or about or for.”
She adds that if we don’t, it remains superficial and can be co-opted for ends that don’t reflect the ideals to which we claim to be patriotic.
Bruised Head says he believes that patriotism can be dangerous, especially when it is driven by politics.
“Patriotism…when used in political culture as a grouping…is the source of assimilation.”
He uses the example of the residential schools where more than 600 languages were taken away from the Indigenous people of Canada to assimilate them into society.
Bruised Head adds that patriotism can be powerful, as long as it’s not part of an assimilation process, but currently sees it as very colonial.
“Right now (patriotism) is still very colonial, and that colonial box is what we’re trying to get out of.”
Bruised Head also points out that Indigenous people didn’t have traditional boundaries; in fact, they’re a hinderance to them.
“We believe in our own trading and traditional time with Montana and the other tribes, before Europeans came out west, so we have a unity thing, common culture, common language, common ceremonies and common geography.”
He adds this connection is what the Blackfoot people are proud of, but when push comes to shove, they will protect their land.
“I always tell people, ‘keep your head up; don’t give up.”

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