Le Grande Problem

Back in 2006 I went in search of a homeland. I wasn't comfortable in Melbourne, I didn't seem to fit in. I yearned for a place where I could feel at ease, somewhere where I felt I could belong. At first I set sail for Stockholm. I was fond of Swedish music, I liked their social democratic political ideals and even had taken some Swedish classes! It seemed like the perfect place for me. Unfortunately, due to reasons I'd prefer not to divulge at this time, it didn't work out so well. So I decided I would move to Montreal. I'd had an interest in Canadian politics for some time, and also was fond of many Canadian bands, it was bound to be the place where I could find myself. Once again though, it didn't turn out as expected. Rather than blossoming into the beautiful flower that I knew I could be given the right environment, I would instead waste my days in the Chapters bookstore on Rue Sainte-Catherine reading up on Canadian history and politics. It wasn't a great life, it wasn't the life I'd envisaged, but I had little idea of what else I should be doing with myself. I thought that the knowledge I was acquiring was making me at least somewhat productive. It was during this time that my affinity with Canada's Acadian minority grew substantially. Due to my interest in Canadian politics I was aware of the Acadian presence mostly in New Brunswick and but also in Nova Scotia, however did not have much knowledge of their history and identity. However, one day when perusing the shelves of the store I came across a book by James Laxer titled The Acadians: In Search Of A Homeland. The title resonated with me immediately.

The Acadians were the original francophone settlers of what is now the Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. They developed a distinct community from those francophones who settled in what is now Quebec, and took pride in their neutrality in the struggle for the area that took place between the British and French. Unfortunately, after the British gained control of the region this neutrality was deemed suspicious and they decided to expel the Acadians from their homes. Le Grande Dérangement was a fucked up act of genocide perpetrated by the brutal and arrogant British establishment. Whilst it had the desired effect of removing most of the francophones from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, many Acadians were able to flee to western and southern New Brunswick where the result of their persecution cultivated a strong sense of identity and resilience to assimilation that to this day rankles both the majority anglophone and franophone communities within Canada. They are mocked and derided for the way they talk, their pride in their hertiage and their place as a minority within a minority, yet they still have enough self-awareness and a sense of humour to not only create for themselves a culturally specific superhero called Acadieman, but also portray him as an apathetic call centre worker.

In the past few days my interest in the Acadians has been rekindled as I stumbled across two majority francophone town in the US state of Maine, just over the St John river from New Brunwick. The towns of Madawaska and Fort Kent are both Acadian strongholds and both culturally and economically connected to their brethren across the border. Towns like these utterly fascinate me. I find it ridiculously interesting how citizens of the most culturally dominate country on the planet have ties to not only Canada, but a minority within Canada, that are stronger than those of their country of origin. Due to my discovery of these two towns I decided that it would be prudent of me to continue my research of the Acadians in more depth. So I decided that I would reacquaint myself with James Laxer's book.

So I took the internet over to Amazon Canada and did a search for the book. Unfortunately, there was one very large problem. You see, usually I prefer to buy paperbacks. Paperbacks are the books of the people. As a strong believer in universal access to education, the hardcover, with its inflated price and inconvenient physicality, seems to be very much opposed to this ideal. Obviously, due to the insatiable greed of the capitalists pigs, the paperback could also be considered a luxury item, however I still consider it a more ethical purchase. Unfortunately, the cover of the paperback version of The Acadians: In Search Of A Homeland is fucking rubbish. It looks very similar to the album of "tranquil harp melodies" titled Serenity that my mum gave me the other week to help with my anxiety problems.


However, the hardcover copy of the book has a far more appealing cover. A picture of the Canadian Maritimes with a compass placed evocatively in the foreground, perfectly illustrating the Acadians search for a homeland that they had already found. Also, it just looks at lot nicer.


So the dilemma I am faced with is whether to order the nicely presented but ethically suspect hardcover copy of the book from Amazon.ca, or order more principled, but shit looking paperback. It's a difficult choice. Am I to stand my ground overlook the hideous cover image of the paperback, much the way the Acadians themselves have stood their ground in face of adversity? Or should I purchase the better looking hardcover, even though it will make me look like an arsehole?

I feel by getting myself so worked up about this ethical dilemma I am not only inhibiting attempts to get to know the Acadians in further depth and by extension broaden my affinity with them, but also, furnishing my own sense of displacement. How can I find a place where I truly belong if I'm not at ease in my own mind? So maybe I should purchase the paperback copy with the bullshit "chill out" compilation cover? Maybe it's a sign that I need to, like the Acadians, show my resilience to a lack of comfort, take a more serene outlook so I can find my identity, be proud of that identity and establish my homeland wherever I find myself.