tat qubcois

This article is about the term "tat Qubcois". For the government of Quebec, see Politics of Quebec and National Assembly of Quebec. L'tat Qubcois (in English the Quebec State) is a term used by Quebecers to refer to their government.

Origins

The term, with nationalist undertones, first became popular in Quebec during the Quiet Revolution. It was used especially by Jean Lesage and the members of his Liberal government as a more dignified naming than province de Qubec, the official term for Quebec used by the Canadian federal political system.

Reasons

The term province is seen as less dignified, even contemptuous, for many Quebecers mainly because of two reasons.

The term province is used for the nine English Canadian federated entities. In the Quebec nationalist, perspective, federalist or sovereigntist, Quebec forms a nation and should not be put on the same level as regional entities.
The term province is also a legacy of the British colonial regime, British imperialism and colonialism and the Conquest of New France. The expression Province of Quebec was the first denomination for the colony, after the British conquest (it would later be Lower Canada, Canada East, than Province de Qubec) and province was the British imperial term for colony. As such, this link to their military conquest and said colonial humiliation is not seen as dignified. Also, this was consistent with the Quiet Revolution, presented by many of its proponents and architects as a process of decolonization.

Tat Qubcois

Origins

Reasons

See also

Modern Quebec

Conquest and colonialism