In a deeply personal reflection on Canadian identity and reconciliation, journalist Pete McMartin examines his family's 214-year history in Canada while questioning contemporary labels applied to descendants of immigrants.
Acknowledging Historical Injustices
The author begins by unequivocally recognizing the historic injustices suffered by Indigenous Peoples across Canada. McMartin emphasizes that Indigenous communities maintain every right to seek restitution through land claims and financial aid aimed at addressing persistent inequalities resulting from colonial policies.
However, the Vancouver-based writer introduces another perspective he believes deserves consideration within national conversations about truth and reconciliation - the experience of multi-generational Canadian families whose ancestors arrived centuries ago.
Seven Generations of Canadian Roots
McMartin identifies as a 74-year-old fifth-generation Canadian with three children representing the sixth generation and four grandchildren constituting the seventh generation of his family in Canada. The McMartin family lineage in Canada spans 214 years, beginning with William McMartin's arrival from Paisley, Scotland in 1811.
William McMartin was merely 17 years old when he emigrated alone. The precise reasons for his departure remain unclear through genealogical research, though several plausible motivations emerge from historical context.
Complex Scottish Immigration Story
Scotland's complicated relationship with England provides essential background for understanding McMartin's family journey. Despite being an impoverished nation compared to its southern neighbor, Scotland joined England in the 1707 formation of Great Britain, subsequently participating in colonial enterprises worldwide.
William McMartin potentially emigrated due to various factors common among Scottish diaspora members: British government encouragement to settle Canada as protection against American expansion, unemployment, poverty, religious persecution, clan system dissolution, famine, or the Highland and Lowland clearances.
The clearances represented particularly traumatic events, where tens of thousands of tenant farmers were forcibly removed from ancestral lands as landowners converted estates into profit-driven agricultural enterprises. This systematic dismantling of traditional farming and communal grazing practices left countless families with no alternative but emigration.
McMartin's reflection raises profound questions about identity, historical responsibility, and how Canada navigates the complex terrain between acknowledging colonial harm and recognizing the diverse experiences of immigrant-descended families who have contributed to the nation for generations.
