The "Continuity & Change" and "People of Alberta" sections of this web site
deal with the general history
and cultural life of the various ethno-cultural groups that make Alberta their home. In many cases, the
ongoing immigration
process has not been easy for both native-born Albertans and new immigrants alike.
Although some of these issues are mentioned briefly elsewhere in the site, this
section will discuss some of the common
challenges facing Albertans.
Although Alberta is a truly multicultural society, the various cultural groups do not live in isolation
from one another. Obviously, there is interaction amongst people of various cultural origins. The sharing
of lifestyle traditions is at the heart of multiculturalism. However, when differences such as language
barriers and religious customs seem too large, misunderstanding and intolerance can occur.
For better or for worse, to a certain degree all the cultures of Canada begin to blend together and for
immigrants a process of "Canadianization" occurs. Today, this is usually a fairly smooth process since
people are able to make this adjustment in their own due time. However, in the past, as is the case with
Alberta's aboriginal population and early settlers, forced assimilation did not often achieve mutually
desirable results.
Given the varying background of Albertans and how they have adapted to life here, issues regarding identity
also arise. For aboriginal Albertans they must reconcile their long history in this land
with what it means to be modern Albertans and Canadians. For the generations of Albertans whose ancestry lies somewhere
else, they must walk the line between their ancestral identity and modern identities of being Albertan and
Canadian.
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This digital collection was
produced with financial assistance from Canada's Digital
Collections initiative, Industry Canada.
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