The influence of modernity on collective native identity

While researching for my final paper topic, I came across this article on the relationship between modernity and identity with regard to native cultures; in this particular instance, it is related to indigenous Canadian societies. The author, Vivian Elias, uses Charles Taylor's work to look at what happens to identity and language retention when indigenous societies are confronted with modernity. She suggests that as societies become increasingly modern, people begin to redefine their own identity and culture and language often lose a bit of significant meaning. Citing another author, Louis-Jacques Dorais, Elias indicates that among many Inuit peoples, English became a more dominant language, and even though there were some, probably especially in the younger generations, who did not speak an Inuit language, many still identified themselves as an Inuit person. In addition, those who could speak an Inuit language often preferred English as "a language of practicality" and used Inuktitut to "express their feelings and inner thoughts", and it was something that acted as a symbol of "who they really are." Elias suggests that many see using English ("the modern language") as a benefit over their native language. I think this kind of ties into the first post I did on the Tlicho in the Canadian NW Territories, where a lot of the kids interviewed in the documentary acknowledged modernity as a challenge in their lives, but I think it is safe to assume that they all identified as Tlicho above anything else (Canadian, student, etc.). They stressed the importance of the Tlicho way of life, from speaking the language to drumming and playing hand games, to participating in Trails of Our Ancestors. So basically, modernity has an influence on how native peoples (and others, I'm sure) choose to identify themselves, but it seems that many self-identify as Tlicho or Inuit or Apache, etc etc., above anything else, and it shows the importance of the native identity and culture in an increasingly modern world.

Link to the article, if you're interested in reading it (it's not very long): http://www.arcticlanguages.com/papers/Elias_Implications_of_Modernity.pdf

Courtney Russell