I go to school at CNA here in town and I'm taking Adventure Tourism. For an assignment in one of my classes I wrote and had to present this to my class, but I thought I would present this to the works of all ye as well.

How to be a Newfoundlander

You know what really grinds my gears? Stereotypes and discrimination due to the ignorance of the masses! Many other groups have their stereotypes, both positive and negative; we are no exception. I hope to clear up a few stereotypes and talk about them for a bit today. Newfoundland has lots of unique culture and positive things to offer to the rest of the world, if given the chance to do so.

Newfoundlanders are stupid? False! If we are such stupid people, then why do we have such great post-secondary education? World class facilities like Memorial University of Newfoundland, College of the North Atlantic and other private colleges offer programs and education recognized worldwide. We educate our own people, and others who travel from all over the world to attend school here. From what I’m aware, the Adventure Tourism Program at College of the North Atlantic often gets many students from all over the world.

Newfoundlanders are all Fishermen? False! Traditionally yes, there were a lot of people that made a living off the water, but times have changed! With development of new projects, and urbanization, came jobs being created for our people and anyone else who venture here to immerse themselves in us and our culture. Oil rigs, mines, and even tourism is on the rise! Newfoundland is still growing and will continue to grow! We have lots of natural resources to generate jobs for our people. We Newfoundlanders are hard workers; we have worked so hard for what we have achieved in our province.

Newfoundlanders eat nothing but fish? False! We do eat fish, a wide variety of fish, but that’s not all we eat. We have a wide variety of traditional Newfoundland dishes and foods to enjoy. With a wide range of ancestry, we have a unique blend of tastes that make up traditional Newfoundland foods. For example, bakeapples are only found in two places worldwide, Newfoundland and Scotland. This leads to many things being made from bakeapples, such as jams and desserts. We have Figgy Duff, a delicious 16th-century steamed pudding that’s still very much a favourite today. Taste recipes you’ve never heard of, Colcannon, Doughboys, Pea soup, Salt Fish and Brewis, Toutons, and Cod Tongues to name a few.

Many of our dishes are based on locally attained ingredients like wild game, like moose and rabbit, and things we can grow here that can endure our harsh weather, like root vegetables. Many people come to Newfoundland to enjoy some of our traditional dishes. One of our famous dishes would be our “Jiggs Dinner.” Jiggs Dinner is special in a way that, it’s made more than just to be delicious food, because more than often, there are large amounts made to serve lots of people. Meaning, it’s very social and brings people together, like everyone in a whole family gathering at Grandma’s for Sunday dinner, for example.

Newfoundlanders are friendly people? From my experience, true! If you have travelled anywhere else, to a larger city like Toronto, no one smiles at anyone. Here in Newfoundland, even if someone doesn’t know you, they will at least say “Hello!” or “Good day!” and smile at one another as they pass by. It is a very welcoming, warm feeling. I think Newfoundlanders are so friendly because back in early days in small settlements, the people had no one to rely on to help them but each other. We are just as kind to strangers too! For example: Back when 9/11 happened, when all the airplanes were landed, there were so many people stranded in St. John’s that all the hotels were full. So, some local people let some of these stranded strangers into their homes so they had a warm bed to sleep in that night.

To me, being a Newfoundlander means not only being born here, but being raised in our culture on this island we call our home, and I have gained a large amount of respect for my home and its people. Many people consider themselves Newfoundlanders before Canadians even now because they are so proud of their home. I go to school now to get my education, because they are one of your greatest tools in life, and one of the others being kind and respectful to others, with them you can go much further and see much further in many aspects of life. I think people that have those tools are some of the best things that Newfoundland can offer, because I’m “Manufactured Right Here.” And I’m a proud Newfoundlander!

P.S. The picture is a tattoo I have on my arm.   Submitted By: Brittany House