Week 4

Independence Park Tour (INDE) Reflections

During the time of the Independence Park we were led by some of the folks at the National Park Service in the Independence Park Tour. 

As someone who was educated and lived in Canada for my whole life and moved to the United States last year it was incredibly interesting to observe the park and participate in a group tour about Independence Park. 

Like the prompt states, the park and tour emphasizes Philadelphia as the birthplace of freedom. Philadelphia as a birthplace of freedom to me is part of the project of settler colonialism.

In Canada, I have been a student in similar situations and tours in which we learn about the origins and histories of early settlers. It is common as part of the Ontario school curriculum to include education about the colonial history of Canada, and how the early settlers used to live. Often on these tours Indigenous peoples are completely erased from the narrative. 

During the tour of Independence Park, we also got a glimpse into the colonial history of the United States. One thing that I took away from the tour is this idea that the mention and narrative around slavery is quite similar to the conversations around colonization of Indigenous peoples. 

And what I mean by this is that there was very little to no mention of the long lasting intergenerational impacts of colonization and slavery for Black or Indigenous peoples in the United States. 

On the tour, it was interesting to notice the different moments in which there could have been interventions on the content and walk-through. I keep thinking about my own experience and training doing education about treaties and the history of colonization.