Anu Neupane

CART Essay 1
March 22, 2023
Ms. Nelson

It is frequently said that our external circumstances influence who we are, and that our

experiences shape our identity, in relation to our values - Thomas King uses the mother and the

boy in the short tale "Borders" to represent the fluidity of identity as well as the broader

relationship between one's experiences connected to their individual identity and how they act

upon their identity. At the beginning, the son and mother are shown to have different identities,

as the son exhibits minimal pride in his Blackfoot culture. Yet after dealing with a once-in-a-

lifetime situation involving their Blackfoot citizenship, in which the mother maintains her

"Blackfoot citizenship" attitude, the son begins to comprehend the intense pride his mother has

for her Blackfoot culture. The encounter teaches the youngster about his fascinating cultural

heritage and fosters in him a strong sense of Blackfoot pride. Demonstrating the clear correlation

between our life experiences and how we act and behave in front of others - After the border

encounter and witnessing his mother defend her identity, the son develops a strong feeling of

pride and comes to understand the value of being proud of who you are.

In this short story, the family wished to cross the border into America for one sole

purpose – meeting Laetitia, the daughter of the family, who was in Salt Lake City at the time.

Reaching the border at Coutts, the border patrol officer asked the mom to declare her citizenship,

either American or Canadian, but the mom repeated “Blackfoot”. The border officer asked again:

“Now, I know that we got Blackfeet on the American side and the Canadians got Blackfeet on
their side. Just so we can keep our records straight, what side do you come from?”. The mom

replied, “Blackfoot side”. After a few provoking moments with the border officers, the son and

the mom were told to pull over and sit on a bench inside the building. They waited for over an

hour, until a lady approached them. She continued to ask the mother to declare her citizenship,

but the mother's answer did not change. After a while, the son told her that he was Blackfoot

Canadian, she replied saying that this did not count, as he was a minor. It is clear that the boy

cared more about seeing his sister than about maintaining a strong sense of self, whereas the

mother maintained her pride throughout the interactions. This leads to the conclusion that the

mother is of an elder indigenous generation, having gone through uncertain events that have

defined her identity and caused her to carry a great deal of pride and affection for Blackfoot

culture. The son, on the other hand, has not gone through the same experiences as his mother,

and as a result, he has a perplexed attitude towards his identity. Initially when the son was asked

about his own unique identity, he was willing to give up the Blackfoot identification that had

been passed down through many generations, demonstrating that, in contrast to his mother, he

did not fully value the sense of who he was.

However, as time passes the family is still not allowed to cross the border into America

with their claim of Blackfoot citizenship. With this, they head back to the Canadian border,

hoping to return to their home nation. Upon reaching the Canadian border office, the son

describes the border guard as a young woman, who seemed happy. The border lady proceeds to

ask them simple questions, about their day, and where they are coming from. She soon pops the

question: “Wow, you both Canadians?”- once again, the mother is asked about her identity, and

just like last time she proceeds to claim her citizenship as Blackfoot. “I know, I’d be proud of
being Blackfoot if I were Blackfoot. But you have to be American or Canadian.”, says the border

lady. From this point, they are declined entrance to Canada – being stuck between the borders.

Time passes, and neither of the borders let the mom and son pass, they spent majority of their

time listening to the moms story about her family, and past - “When I was a little girl, my

grandmother used to take me and my sisters out on the prairies and tell us stories about all the

stars.” said the mom, as she sat against the front bumper of the car, late at night. It can be

inferred from the text, regarding the mother's behavior that she felt a greater sense of honor with

her Blackfoot identity, after she was denied entrance into the Land she thought of as home;

Canada. It was with this great sense of identity which led to the sacrificial feeling, allowing the

family to be stuck between the borders, for two days.

A war must sometimes be fought alone, and standing up for your identity can often lead

to great success throughout the mind of society. As a result of the sacrifice made by the mother,

to keep her identity strong and not travel with the name of just “Canadian” - she made the

decision to stay between the borders, showing that she will not cross through any borders until

her stance on “Blackfoot” citizenship is accepted. It did not take long until they were surrounded

by news, and media corporations. With this pressure, the border patrol let them cross into

America, where they drove to Salt Lake City, to visit Latecia. During their visit, the son

mentions how he is bored, and would much rather return home, then spend more time in America

- The actions showed by the mother in which she was very firm with her identity, and stayed true

to her personal morals and values in relation to the pride she had with her Blackfoot culture is

what influenced the son to not “break his pride”, and come to a great realization regarding his
identity. This can be shown by the bored emotions presented when he was in Salt Lake City,

representing the pride he felt for his own roots, and how he wished to return back. As a result of

this whole experience, the son comes to realize the importance of pride in his own identity. He is

ultimately influenced by his mother's actions and her firm cultural identity that she became

stubborn to affirm. Furthermore, the son is also shaped by the experience of living between

borders, which gives him great cultural pride. Demonstrating that your experiences ultimately

impact your identity, and how you act upon it.

Reflecting on the thought; how do individuals view their own identity? Thomas King

represents identity as a fluid being, that is shaped by the external circumstances present

throughout one's life, as well as their experiences. Through the mother and the son, Thomas

shows that events you have experienced, whether they be traumatic, or joyful, ultimately impact

how you act towards others, and how you view yourself- Thus, exhibiting to readers that the

mother has gone through an experience that has opened her eye in the sense of cultural pride,

causing her to hold fierce love for her tribal identity, while the son had yet to face experiences

that would alter his cultural and personal identity. However, the mother was able to influence

those around her, like her son to carry a sense of pride, he learned the value of accepting self-

identity, and standing up for who you are. - In the end, the experiences faced by both the mother

and the son led them to a great feeling of pride regarding their Blackfoot culture. This illustrates

to readers that identity is fluid and that the external circumstances we face shape our sense of

self. However, Thomas King also stresses the importance of remaining true to one's roots, and

being proud of who you are – representing that though our beauty may be found in our branches,

our strengths will always be found within our roots – the roots we must never forget.