Province House, which appears in the first picture, was one of the places which I wanted to visit on Prince Edward Island. A tour pamphlet said that it was completed in 1847 and was well known as the place which held the first meeting consisting of the representatives from all the colonies. That is to say, this was the birth place of Canada. The next two pictures show the signboard and inside the meeting room, which is well preserved as an important cultural asset. I just stood at the very historical place.
The last two pictures were shot at Peake's Wharf, where the Canadian founding fathers landed in 1864. A comfortable boardwalk was constructed and there were several gift shops. It was actually one of the tourist attractions.
I abandoned myself to the imagination of the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I don't mean to accuse anyone and any country, but I thought as follows;
Anglo-Saxons came to eastern north America, killed numerous native people and built their country. Additionally, they went west continuing the massacres, reached the Pacific Rim and went across the Ocean. However, their savage plan was foiled by Japan, which freed Asian nations which had long been governed by their savage colonial masters. If Japan had failed, this world would be governed by Anglo-Saxons and the colored people would have been slaves forever. When I stood at the starting point, such a mixed feeling came upon me.
(Vocabulary)
savage 〈人・攻撃などが〉 非道な, 非人道的な, 〈動物が〉 獰猛(どうもう)な
asset 《通例複数形で》 資産, 財産;《[C]通例単数形で》 役立つもの［人材］, 貴重なもの［人材］
founding father 建国の父
foil 《[他]通例受け身形で》〈相手・計略など〉をくじく, 未然に防ぐ
The escape attempt was foiled by police guards. 脱走の企ては警察の警備員によって未然に防がれた．
最初の3枚の写真はプロビンス・ハウス（１８４７年建築）。ここで１８６４年カナダ連邦を結成するため、初めての各植民地代表者会議が行われた。２階には「連邦誕生の間」と呼ばれる歴史的会議室があり、当時のままに保存され公開されている。
次の2枚はPeake's Wharfで、１８６４年にカナダ連邦成立の会議に出席した”建国の父たち"(この言葉自体いい気なものだなと言う気がする)が降り立った埠頭。海沿いには遊歩道がしかれ、美しく整備されている。ギフトショップが並び観光客の憩いの場である。
この埠頭と会議室には来て見たかった。カナダ人を非難するつもりは全くないが、ヨーロッパからやってきて、現地人を虐殺して得た土地に自分たちの国を作った記念の場所と言われても、もともと住んでいた人々にとってはどうだろう？とても悔しい場所なのではないか。徐々に西へと彼らは進出し、次々と先住民を虐殺、太平洋に出て、日本に抵抗され野望は潰えた。日本がアジアを解放できていなければ、この世界は白人の世界、有色人種は永遠に奴隷だったはず。その野望の始まりの地点に立ち、複雑な気持ちになった。
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