What we talk about when we talk about Vínland: History, whiteness, indigenous erasure, and the early norse presence in Newfoundland

Abstract

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.