Blog Post 3 - Vimy Ridge
The monument and memory of the battle of Vimy Ridge is an iconic one in the history of Canadian identity. When analyzing the monument of Vimy Ridge, one's first instinct is to assume that it is a time biased media. This is because it is a solid structure made of concrete and steel that has already survived many decades. However, I would argue that the Vimy Ridge memorial shifts more towards being space biased rather than time biased. The reason for that is because the memorial ties into the narrative that Canadian history started when European contact was made, which is a very space biased way of viewing the history of Canada. The land that we now know as Canada has had Indigenous people living on it for thousands of years. When Europeans discovered the land and started to colonize it, they created a narrative that Canada's history began when they arrived. This narrative can be seen in the video "Why the Battle of Vimy Ridge Matters," as they emphasize the importance of Vimy Ridge's 100th anniversary happening the same year as Canada's 150th birthday. Vimy Ridge is an accomplishment that was completed in France for the sake of both Canada and other European allies, further showing it's European centric narrative. By not acknowledging the full history of Canada and instead being "present-minded," Vimy Ridge is therefore space biased.
Hi Ashley, I agree with your point about it being space biased and the narrative that Canada's history began when it arrived. However, I also think it is time biased. Looking at the video "Why the Battle of Vimy Ridge Matters" regarding media artifacts, I would say it can be argued as being time biased. With the creation of software and new forms of technology, we have the ability to access any information we want. We can look up events that happened decades ago or look at details posted before. The internet is a forever thing. Just like we can't erase history, we can't erase stuff from the internet. Therefore, regarding the youtube video solely as a media artifact, I also argue it as time biased.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Ashley! I really enjoyed reading your perspective of how the monument is a bias of space. Although I have a different perspective on the monument itself, I believe your argument is strong and you have included great examples in your blog post this week. I was drawn to your statement of how the memorial ties with the narrative that Canadian history began when it arrived.
ReplyDeleteWhen I analyzed the media artifacts examined on Vimy Ridge, I argued the monument itself is a bias of time, due to its relatively short lifespan as a result of environmental erosion, and the webpages of information are a bias of time, as we have the ability to view a wide range of past/present information making it long-lasting.
Hi Ashley! I completely see and understand where you're coming from when you claim that Vimy Ridge is a space-biased view. Your conclusion makes a valid point that I did not think about when looking at the video and examining the website. However, I personally argued that it was a mix of the two when it came down to whether it was time or space-biased. Although the physical monument of Vimy Ridge in France is definitely time-biased, both the media sources shows us how it can also be seen as space-biased media as they make use of the current time to inform individuals about a significant historical moment. People who have attended elementary or high school in Canada has the opportunity to learn about it in class, but people from different backgrounds may not have had the opportunity so the websites serve as a learning tool to some. Lastly, thank you for reminding me about the role Indigenous people played during and after this battle.
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