A Newfoundland Ethnicity? The Political Implications of Post‐Confederation Nationalism in Newfoundland

• Published in: Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism
• Main Author: Baker, James
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2014
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sena.12080; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fsena.12080; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sena.12080

Abstract Ethnicity is very much at the core of the individual and has been known to constitute the basis of nationalisms. Loosely speaking, an ethnic group refers to those who identify with one another through a number of shared characteristics (e.g. culture, language, or religion). Based on this, scholars would agree that most Quebeckers meet the criteria – but what about Newfoundlanders? Does calling oneself a ‘ N ewfoundlander’ invoke a specific set of linguistic or cultural features that are held to be common? Are Newfoundlanders an ethnic group? If a ‘ N ewfoundland ethnicity’ exists, could a ‘ N ewfoundland ethnic identity’ lead to a post‐Confederation N ewfoundland nationalism? In order to address these questions, I use a modified version of what Anthony D. Smith (1986) says constitutes the core of national identity, the ethnie , and, to place the analysis in context, I briefly discuss nationalism and ethnicity. Following this, I provide an overview of the origins of a N ewfoundland ethnogenesis, a review of key post‐Confederation N ewfoundland ‘nationalist’ events, as well as an analysis of each aspect of ethnie from a N ewfoundland perspective. The article concludes by arguing that while Newfoundlanders can be considered a distinct ethnic group, the likelihood of a post‐Confederation N ewfoundland nationalism emerging is low.