National Identity and White Supremacy in Wendy Lill’s The Occupation of Heather Rose

Abstract

This paper reevaluates the attempts of Wendy Lill to constitute an authentic Canadian national and cultural identity with a special focus on Natives’ representation in literature. In The Occupation of Heather Rose, Lill shows a genuine interest in the depictions of Natives in her works to improve their social and political status in Canada. She narrates instances of White supremacy as the main reason for the dilemma of Natives in Canada. The focus of this study will be on how Wendy Lill as a prolific writer has managed-her own way-to characterize the authentic Canadian cultural identity as represented in the Natives and their dilemma as part of Canadian society.