Early Life
Duncan Campbell
Scott is considered one of Canada's most influential Confederation
poets. He was born - 5 years before Canadian Confederation - on 2
August 1862 in Ottawa, Upper Canada (now: Ontario) to Reverend WIlliam Scott and Janet MacCallum; Scott died 19
December 1947 in Ottawa. Scott lived through a major milestone in
Canadian history that had an immense impact on Canadian culture:
Confederation. From an early age he had wished to become a doctor but as his
family did not have the necessary finances, he became a civil
servant working for the Canadian government.
Duncan Campbell Scott
Literary Influences
Scott's literary
passion was sparked by Archibald Lampman, who was also a writer.
While they have been both considered significant Poets of the
Confederation, along with Bliss Carmen and C.D.G. Roberts, Lampman
and Scott were also close friends, who often worked together on
literary works. A popular co-authored novel written by Lampman and
Scott was At the Mermaid Inn, which is a novel about the
famous Mermaid Inn Tavern
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaid_Tavern).
Another great
influence on Scott's literary works, was his employment as a civil servant; specifically his job as
head of the Department of Indian Affairs from 1913 to 1932. He
worked for the Canadian government, dealing with the so-called
"Indian Problem". Scott's job made him work closely with
First Nations people usually in isolated areas.
The Indian Problem
The "Indian
Problem", as described in the journal called the North American
Review, was the Canadian government's view of First Nations people as
"savages" and "uncivilized". The governments goal was to assimilate First Nation's people,
supposedly for their greater good, and "cultivate them and make
them contribute to the national wealth" (Schurz, 1881). The
basic goal of assimilation was to conform the First Nations people to
the "proper" colonialized ways, following the Christian
faith and speaking the English language. Unfortunately, this
so-called Indian problem was horrendously dealt with, and resulted in
what has been referred to a "cultural genocide" of First
Nations people. The Canadian government believed that "best
chance for success [for the First nations people] was to learn
English and adopt Christianity and Canadian customs" (CBC News,
2008). Assimilation happened the most forcefully with the
installation of residential schools (link to
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2008/05/16/f-faqs-residential-schools.html).
While working to assimilate these First Nations people, Scott
explains that:
"I want to
get rid of the Indian problem. I do not think as a matter of fact,
that the country ought
continuously
protect a class of people who are able to stand alone… Our
objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada
that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no
Indian question, and no Indian Department, that is the whole object
of this Bill."
(National Archives of Canada, 1978)
Treaty No.9
Commission at Fort Albany near James Bay in 1905
(Scott and others at the signing of
Treaty No.9, where the Canadians attempted to make negotiations for
land with the First Nations people)
First Nations Influence
The influence of
Scott's involvement with the First Nations people is apparent
throughout his literary works, and is especially predominant in his
two poems "The Onondaga Madonna" and "The Forsaken".
Scott's job required close work with the First Nations people, and
this work influences his thoughts of the First Nations people over
time.
A film called "The
Poet and the Indian" (link to
http://www.tamarackproductions.com/DCS.php)
reveals the principles behind the assimilation of the First Nations
people (a campaign led by DC Scott), and the film also portrays the
vast effects that this notion had on First Nations culture.
Duncan Campbell Scott, 1943
Credit: courtesy of the Public Archives
of Canada
