What We Talk about When We Talk about Vínland: History, Whiteness, Indigenous Erasure, and the Early Norse Presence in Newfoundland1.

The early Norse or Viking presence in what is presently Newfoundland has formed a part of the area's historical traditions since at least the early nineteenth century. However, such traditions have commonly been informed by various amalgamations of colonial attitudes, modern political interests, and commercial and economic concerns. Using a theoretical framework provided by the work of several colonial discourse theorists and Indigenous scholars, this article examines how the early Norse presence in the area has been expressed through history writing, promotional tourism literature and media, and public art. It traces the persistence of a narrative that has privileged the ephemeral Norse presence in the area while simultaneously marginalizing or obscuring Newfoundland's pre-colonial Indigenous histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
La présence ancienne de Vikings -- Norois ou Norses -- sur l'actuelle île canadienne de Terre-Neuve constitue un aspect important des traditions historiques de cette région depuis au moins le début du dix-neuvième siècle. Cependant, ces traditions ont généralement reposé sur un ensemble divers d'attitudes coloniales, des intérêts politiques modernes, ainsi que des préoccupations commerciales et économiques. S'inspirant d'un cadre théorique issu des travaux de plusieurs théoriciens du discours colonial et universitaires autochtones, le présent article se propose d'examiner la façon dont la présence ancienne de Vikings dans cette région a été exprimée à travers l'historiographie, la littérature et les médias de promotion du tourisme, ainsi que les arts visuels. Il retrace la persistance d'un discours qui a longtemps privilégié la présence éphémère de Vikings dans la région tout en marginalisant ou en occultant les histoires autochtones précoloniales de Terre-Neuve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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