Ceremonial rhetoric and civic identity: the case of the white hat

Canadians exploit a wide variety of symbolic resources to construct their regional and municipal identities, from the physical characteristics of their area to their community's rich historical past. People in Calgary project their civic identity through the city's distinctive community spirit, which has its roots in the myths of the western frontier. In this article, we analyze, from a cultural studies perspective, Calgary's practice of presenting visiting dignitaries with a white cowboy hat, a symbol of the city and of its unique brand of hospitality. We see the ceremony as a site of struggle, the dynamics of which have become increasingly apparent in recent years. We attempt to clarify how, via this ritual, those who arguably constitute the city's civic and business elite have drawn on the western heritage of southern Alberta -- its ranching and agricultural history -- to help construct a highly charged civic identity that has served during a period of rapid social change to downplay social cleavages and to promote corporate interests.