Opinions on SLAV/Kanata, Robert Lepage and cultural appropriation, by columnist headshot

(Background, for those who haven’t been following)

Last updated July 3, 2019

Journal de Montréal/Québec

Josée LegaultMathieu Bock-CôtéSteve E. FortinChristophe RodriguezLise RavaryGuy FournierJosée LegaultLise RavaryRichard MartineauMathieu Bock-CôtéDeborah CherenfantClaude VilleneuveMarie-Eve DoyonJoseph FacalDenise BombardierRéjean ParentAlain DufresneRichard MartineauMaxim MartinMathieu Bock-CôtéSteve E. FortinLise RavaryChristophe RodriguezSteve E. FortinGuy FournierMathieu Bock-CôtéJosée LegaultMarjorie ChampagneYannick Lemay (YGreck)Mathieu Bock-CôtéRichard MartineauSteve E. FortinClaude VilleneuveFatima Houda-PepinJosée LegaultSophie DurocherFatima Houda-PepinMathieu Bock-CôtéFatima Houda-PepinSophie DurocherRichard MartineauGuy FournierJonathan TrudeauRichard MartineauMathieu Bock-CôtéSophie DurocherLise RavaryRichard MartineauMathieu Bock-CôtéLise RavaryJoseph FacalGuy FournierJosée LegaultSophie DurocherGuy FournierSophie DurocherRéjean ParentJoseph FacalSophie DurocherGuy FournierSophie DurocherDenise BombardierJosée LegaultSophie DurocherJosée LegaultJoseph FacalGuy FournierMathieu Bock-CôtéSophie DurocherMathieu Bock-CôtéMathieu Bock-CôtéGuy Fournier

La Presse

Nathalie PetrowskiLaura-Julie PerreaultAlain BrunetMario CloutierPascale NavarroPaul JournetLysiane GagnonIsabelle PicardStéphane LaporteMario GirardMario GirardMario GirardFrançois CardinalNathalie PetrowskiStéphane LaportePaul JournetFrançois CardinalMario GirardMarc CassiviVéronique LauzonYves BoisvertMarc CassiviPatrick LagacéMarc Cassivi

Le Devoir

Sylvain CormierFabrice VilOdile TremblayMarie-Andrée ChouinardChristian RiouxJean-François NadeauPierre TrudelChristian RiouxFrancine PelletierBrian MylesFrancine PelletierOdile TremblayMarie-Andrée ChouinardOdile TremblayOdile TremblayFrancine PelletierOdile TremblayChristian Rioux

Montreal Gazette

T'Cha DunlevyT'Cha DunlevyBrendan KellyLise RavaryT'Cha DunlevyMartin PatriquinT'Cha DunlevyDon MacphersonT'Cha DunlevyT'Cha DunlevyT'Cha DunlevyT'Cha Dunlevy

Le Soleil

Jean-François ClicheFrançois BourquePierre Asselin

The Globe and Mail

Robert Everett-GreenMargaret WenteJ. Kelly NestruckKate TaylorKonrad YakabuskiRobert Everett-GreenRobert Everett-Green

Toronto Star

Rick Salutin

Voir

Philippe CoutureMickaël BergeronSimon Jodoin

Métro

Sylvain MénardMaïtée Labrecque-SaganashSylvain MénardSylvain MénardHoussein Ben-Ameur

L’actualité

David Desjardins

Châtelaine

Josée Boileau

The Suburban

Beryl Wajsman

National Observer

Toula DrimonisToula DrimonisToula Drimonis

L’Express

François Bergeron

Acadie Nouvelle

Rino Morin RossignolRino Morin RossignolRino Morin Rossignol

Le Courant des Hautes-Laurentides

Frédéric Bérard

The Stage (U.K.)

Mark Shenton

Le Figaro (France)

Mathieu Bock-CôtéArmelle Héliot

Note: Links are in roughly chronological order, grouped by publication. I’ve included in this list only columnists, editorialists, critics and regular bloggers for mainstream publications, and excluded news stories, letters to the editor, social media posts, interviews about people’s opinions, and invited opinion pieces. Headshots appear multiple times where a writer has written multiple pieces about the subject. I’ve also excluded radio and television broadcast opinions because of the difficulty in finding and compiling them. I’ve probably missed a few — if so point them out in the comments and I’ll add them.

See also: What black people think about Slav

9 thoughts on “Opinions on SLAV/Kanata, Robert Lepage and cultural appropriation, by columnist headshot

  1. dilbert

    Let’s ask the white people what they think… A quick pan though the images found only two obvious people of color… maybe one or two mixed. Otherwise, it’s a whitewash.

    Reply
  2. Muchael Black

    To be fair, some might be Metis, or even native, though I suspect not.

    The Suburban editorial was interesting because he invokes the civil rights movement. But segregation started to break when people decided that whatever the risk, they wanted something better. So Rosa Parks didn’t move, and gave so many people power to act. The lunch counter sit ins were black students at the beginning. The Freedom Rides started as an elite thing, black and white together but after Jim Peck and John Lewis were badly beaten, and a bus burned, they decided they couldn’t continue. That’s when Diane Nash of the sit ins stepped in, worried that a stall might end things, so lots of black students continued it, later white students joining in.

    The parallel is that until people can tell their own story, nothing has changed. The show is white people telling a story, and lots of white people saying why it’s okay. Even some people dismiss the fuss, “it’s just another liberal thing”, missing that black people (and natives in other stories) are there speaking up.

    One time Sam Steele, not yet a Mountie, went to Red River as part of the expeditionary force. My great, great grandmother’s brother’s house was torched by someone, one of many retaliatory things that happened. The Force provided no protection to the those in the provisional government, even though cousin Louis formed it by convincing people to be a part of it, even when they differed from him. That’s not part of popular history, so much has been erased. Stories have to be told by those involved, part of the necessary rebalance. Maybe then it matters less if white people tell a story or work in native art

    Michael

    Reply
  3. Joe Clark

    It’s SL?V (very easily typeset), not “Slav.” (The upper case is the questionable part.)

    Good type and copy: Still never a priority for Canadian hacks, whose degree of knowledge is, by definition, sufficient. (Look how far it’s gotten you!)

    Reply
  4. Amy Barratt

    Wow, thanks for taking the time to compile this, Steve. The “What black people think about SLAV” is helpful too.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *