I'm happy to be a Canadian, but as I've made clear here before, I identify primarily as a Newfoundlander.
We are an island settled by accident. When the first fishermen came here, the law was that they had to return to England, and not stay the winter. Eventually some defied the law stayed behind to look after the communities they had built here. This island is harsh. There are harder places, but Newfoundland is harder than most. And when my ancestors had to pour in so much effort just to build a house here, or to eke out a living on our meager soil and rough seas, how could they be made to leave?
As for my Canadian pride ... when we entered Canadian confederation we were a poor, poor nation. For decades we were the poorest province in Canada, but we benefited from the goodwill of the rest of the country, installing infrastructure and upgrading our quality of life. Today, we are getting an opportunity to pay it back. In the downswing of much of the mainland economy, the Newfoundland economy has actually continued it's pre-downswing growth. For the first time since we joined Confederation, we are paying
into the equalization payments. Yes, we still have to deal with stereotypes and jokes, and some days it's enough for me to renounce my Canadian identity altogether, but at the end of the day there aren't many better things one can call themselves but 'Canadian.'
The only one I can think of offhand is 'Newfoundlander.'