From Border Pedagogy to Treaty Pedagogy: Canadian Exceptionalism in a Canadian Film Studies Classroom

Abstract

When, how, and why does the forty-ninth parallel come into view in our classrooms? And, from there, by what means can we map out a pedagogy that accounts for the specificity of the Canada-US border? Whether the border is seen or not, how it is seen, and why, is obviously contingent upon viewers' cultural assumptions, affective experiences, and socio-political contexts. Drawing on data from our most recent study, we closely examine participants' responses to argue for a further reconceptualizing of border pedagogy north of the forty-ninth parallel. Referring to what Rachel Bryant calls “Canadian exceptionalism,” we suggest that teaching students about the Canada-US border requires more than a (modified, Canadianized) border pedagogy. We conclude by turning to tenets of treaty pedagogy, which offer teaching strategies that acknowledge and respect a variety of borders equally.