Our Home and Native Land: Nation- Building, Land Ownership, and Rural Narratives in the Canadian Prairies

Abstract

Contemporary advertisement campaigns and media messaging from the Canadian agricultural industry often portray agriculture as closely intertwined with Canadian history and identity. This article offers a critical analysis of the narratives associated with the Canadian agricultural industry by examining elements of Canada’s settlement history, interrogating historical narratives, and analyzing several contemporary advertisement campaigns, namely Farm Credit Canada’s “Ag More Than Ever” campaign. The portrayals found in both historical and contemporary advertisements depict land ownership and the environment in mechanistic and industrial ways that frame farmers as environmental stewards. In the modern context, these narratives allow the agricultural industry to combat criticisms regarding the environmental impact of Canadian agricultural practices. This obscures the appropriative history of Canadian agriculture as well as any potential opportunities for meaningful dialogue and change.