Wow, what an interesting discussion. I, being the typical ignorant american, really had no idea that this was even an issue.
To those Canadians in here, I couldn't agree with you more on some points. I have absolutely no idea who your prime minister was, hell - before this thread I probably would have called him your president. I would bet that many people I know are in the same boat as I.
I live in WI, not too too far from Canada, but know very little about it. It has been stated that America has a huge influence on your culture - around here, you have little to no influence on ours. I pride myself on doing my best to keep up with world events, but canada is rarely a blip on my radar. I understand that Canada is our largest trade partner, but our relationship seems so stable that it never really crossed my mind.
I have quite a bit of respect for Canada, as it is a highly industrialized nation that has many, many things that America does not. Like... You guys can play hockey really well.
Or, Canadian crime rates in general, especially the murder rates, are unbelievablely low. Canadians are also healthier in general, especially compared to the "epidemic" of Obesity in America. (according to a documentary I saw on the History Channel) Oh, and the rest of the world likes you - or at least doesn't care enough to hate you.
We Americans (keep in mind I am but a single person typing, my opinion may or may not be the majority) usually keep track of things that affect us, or could potentially effect us. We have so many problems here, I spend more of my time reading about our issues than I do the rest of the worlds problems. The War on Terror, the "Constant" Threat of a Terrorist attack (thank you mass media) The upcoming Election, Scandals, Murders, kittens trapped in wells, all have much more of an effect on my life than Canadian Politics. And above all that, things that directly affect my life seem a lot more important than any of those items. Kinda funny that it is more important to me whether or not my favorite nightclub is closing down than if the "threat level" is raised.
Our cultures are extremely different - Americans are usually more independant and require personal space. Canadians, it seems, are much more open and friendly. I have a couple of Canadian friends that didn't even lock their doors when they left their house. Certainly, that probably still happens in some parts of America, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the city that does that.
Anyway, I'm not trying to ramble on here - you are right. Many Americans are ignorant not only about Canada, but many, many other things as well. What I see from the remarks in this thread is basically
Canada - "Damn you Americans, Pay Attention to us! Recognize us! Hahaha... look at the dumb Americans"
America - "Quit your bitching... We'd hate you too if we cared enough about you..."
The question remains though, what would you Canadians suggest that we do to make you feel recognized?