Drew Hayden Taylor, an Ojibway writer, achieves the role of literature by challenging the common beliefs of society in his essays. He takes the role of defending First Nations from the common criticisms and assumptions of Canadian society, in an attempt to change people’s perspectives. This is the purpose of many of his essays, each having their own problem or question. These essays raise the problems and issues First Nations people face that society may be unfamiliar with. Throughout his essays, he uses multiple logical strategies in his writing to support his arguments. Many of his essays deal with the concept of stereotyping. Taylor argues against these stereotypes and issues directed at First Nations people by using allusions, factual evidence, …show more content…
He tries to differentiate Indians and First Nations when he says that “there are more than 50 distinct and separate languages and dialects. And each distinct … from a distinct and separate culture.” (Taylor, “Seeing”) within Canada. Taylor compares this fact with the stereotype that Indians, First Nations, and Indigenous are the same. He does this in an attempt to change the perspective of the people who believe in this stereotype, providing them with another way to view the issue. He gets them to see the diversity of more than 50 languages and dialects, each with a separate culture, and applies that to the stereotype, therefore disproving it. When Taylor addresses the 300 arrests due to alcoholism, he states that “it signified the same dozen people who just got arrested over and over and over again. It’s all in how you read the statistic. And nobody told me how many white people had been arrested over and over again. It’s all in how you read the statistic.”. (“Seeing”) This fact shows how media and stereotyping all First Nations people as alcoholics can be misleading and once again opposes that conventional belief. However, Taylor then turns the focus over to white people in an attempt to show that white people's fault from the same things that they fault First Nations people for. The repetition of “It’s all in how you read …show more content…
The tone of the essay is the most important for making his arguments convincing to his readers, as it places emphasis on his points. Tone is illustrated when Taylor writes, “I find myself screaming “Which ‘People’? Be specific!” That’s why I never watch television in public.”. (“Seeing”) He demonstrates an irritated and angry tone as he talks about the stereotype of all Aboriginal people being the same. He portrayed himself as “screaming”, showing his nuisance towards this situation. It is then reinforced by the “!” and at the end, representing the intensity in his statement. It is obvious for the reader to see the faults in this stereotype as Taylor emphasises it in his tone of writing. This changes their perspective and raises awareness to dispel the conventional value. As he then talks about the impression of alcoholism in First Nations communities, he is able to disprove it through his own experiences. He finalizes this argument by saying “Which makes me wonder why this myth is so persuasive.”. (“Seeing”) We are introduced to almost a passive aggressive tone as Taylor tries to restrain his annoyance of an illogical stereotype. He questions this impression and the reader gets the sense that he literally cannot comprehend the reasoning behind this, therefore frustrating him. A satiric tone is used when he states, “We hereby