Why Shoot the Gopher? Reading the Politics of a Prairie Icon

Canadian popular cultural representations of the gopher are studied to illustrate the role of this animal within public discourses of power in the nation's prairie regions. Analysis of multiple literary representations of the gopher demonstrates the highly contested nature of gophers within historical & contemporary Canadian society. Two predominant attitudes toward gophers within present-day Canadian society are identified. Whereas the first perspective depicts the gopher as a menace to agriculture & utilizes a war metaphor in comprehending the human-gopher relationship, the second emphasizes the resourcefulness & courage exhibited by gophers in dealing with the human world; indeed, it is shown that several local tourist industries & Canadian sports teams have embraced the latter understanding of gophers. It is concluded that the gopher functions as a paradigm for comprehending existing tensions over land use within Canada's prairie regions. 55 References. J. W. Parker