In the story "Borders," by Thomas King, the speaker's mother wants to travel because she believes that "borders" are artificial and arbitrary creations that divide and separate people. She refuses to recognize the border between Canada and the United States, considering herself a member of the Blackfoot tribe, a group that straddles the border. She wants to assert her Indigenous identity by crossing the border without identification, challenging the authorities to acknowledge the existence and rights of her people. Her determination to travel is a symbol of her resistance against colonialism and the imposition of borders that undermine the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous communities.
