Words matter

I enjoyed “Magnetic North” (December 2018-January 2019), but I was concerned by language used in reference to Richard Hourde’s encounters with Anglican missionaries. Author Katherine Schumm writes, “Hourde made friends easily, chumming around with Anglican missionaries and local folks.” This makes the missionaries seem like a bunch of friendly, jovial people. Schumm later writes, “He jotted down quick notes about how well [the Indigenous residents] spoke English, courtesy of Anglican missionaries who had introduced the language.” My understanding is that these people were part of a mission to convert Indigenous peoples, eliminating and minimizing their cultures. “Forced the language” is more accurate wording.

Canada’s History often demonstrates a priority in valuing Indigenous cultures by exposing injustices that occurred over the past several hundred years. This is why I’m surprised that the magazine published the above-mentioned references, as if sugar-coating reality.

Jeff Arbus Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario