The radical activist and the natural victim: colonial tropes of Aboriginal identity, the media, and public inquiries in Canada

Abstract

Images of Aboriginal social problems and protests are frequent features of mainstream news discourse. This thesis identifies two dominant tropes of Aboriginal identity found within the mainstream visual discourse of Aboriginal social problems: the radical activist and the natural victim. Using "hot-button" cases of Aboriginal social problems that resulted in public inquiries (i.e. Oka, Ipperwash), this thesis identifies where and why colonial tropes are constructed within the visual discourse of these events and their subsequent public inquiries. This thesis will pay particular attention to the way in which colonial tropes of Aboriginal identity continue to shape the mainstream visual discourse of Aboriginal social problems and in turn have an impact on public opinion and government responses to these hot-button issues.