The 4Rs Youth Movement is an initiative designed to promote cross-cultural, face-to-face dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people. It corresponds with the themes of engaging and inspiring youth and promoting reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. A $398,000 contribution to the group was made by Canadian Heritage as part of Canada 150 (Government of Canada 2016: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1070919). Unlike some of the pageantry associated with the Royal Tour, 4Rs is a genuine example of rhetoric matching reality with respect to reconciliation. However, this may be because of its origins in civil society rather than the bureaucracy. Interestingly, 4Rs offers a large variety of programs including delivering training, hosting workshops, and hosting general gatherings. It also engages young people by letting them play an active role in steering the conversation, which contrasts with the hierarchy present in the bureaucracy. The funding of such groups can also be understood in the context of neoliberalism: rather than using limited resources to emulate an existing service offered in civil society, governments can instead invest in these groups.

Secret Path is an interesting artifact because, while it is not an official expression of Canada 150, it has been tied to the theme of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in advance of celebrations (Globe and Mail 2016: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/gord-downie-cries-as-afn-honours-him-for-work-telling-story-of-first-nations-boy/article33218309/). It tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a boy who died running away from a residential school. This artifact can be contrasted with the Liberal government’s attempt to use the Royal Tour to demonstrate reconciliation, as it is a direct acknowledgement of the brutality of Canada’s residential schooling system. However, it also raises questions of allyship. The CBC article linked praises Downie for using his status as an artist to tell the story, but it remains important for these stories to emerge for Indigenous Peoples as well. While dialogue and acknowledging the truth is an important step in reconciliation, it is important that events are not appropriated and reinterpreted. While this does not seem as if it was an issue for Secret Path, care should be paid to avoid this potential issue. This artifact is thematically similar to the 4Rs movement (artifact nine), which seeks to facilitate dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Personally, the process of the competition and initial iterations of the final logo are both disappointing. The competition reflects attitudes that devalue the work of younger Canadians, and a devaluation of creative work generally. The priority statement reflects tapping into the creativity of all Canadians, though this assumes another meaning where significant work (used for domestic and international marketing) for is done for a paltry sum. The process itself seems like there were a few wasted opportunities: as Matthew Hayday notes, employees of the federal government and state organizers sought to use festivities to foster a sense of national community given a vast geographic distribution (2010, 312). Rather than having internal boards assess the designs, there could have been a online survey that allows Canadians to vote for their favourite design. This would be a good way of using the internet to easily engage Canadians. While online surveys can be a superficial mode of engagement, this topic is fairly low stakes in comparison to a topic like electoral reform. This artifact can be contrasted with the 4Rs Youth Movement (artifact nine), which represents a more genuine attempt at fostering youth engagement through cross-cultural dialogue. Unlike the competition, where the end product of “engagement” is used for the government’s own ends, the 4Rs movement fits into the long-term goal of reconciliation and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples. This also highlights the different methods in which cultural activities can be promoted, with 4Rs representing a civil society organization partially funded by government rather than a direct government program.