Canada's Identity: Colonialism and Indigenous Issues PDF

Week 6. Canada as a ‘Land of Immigrants’ Key Question: What does this assume and suggest regarding Canadian Identity? Multicultural policy Government or institutional frameworks designed to manage and promote the coexistence of diverse cultures, ethnicities and religious groups within society – pol...

Week 6. Canada as a ‘Land of Immigrants’ Key Question: What does this assume and suggest regarding Canadian Identity? Multicultural policy Government or institutional frameworks designed to manage and promote the coexistence of diverse cultures, ethnicities and religious groups within society – policies treating each other fairly ​ Sharma critiques Canadian multiculturalism as appearing inclusive while masking systemic racism and colonial histories. This suggests Canadian identity is portrayed as fair but is rooted in exclusionary practices. ​ Winter argues that multicultural policies selectively include some groups, marginalizing others like Indigenous peoples. This implies Canadian identity is built on a surface-level pluralism, not true equality​ Dominant discourse Ways of thinking, speaking and understanding topics within a society, shaped by those in positions of power — framing discourses as “normal,” “true,” and “acceptable.” ​ Sharma critiques the dominant narrative of "we are all immigrants," which erases Indigenous sovereignty and normalizes settler narratives. This suggests Canadian identity frames inclusion while ignoring systemic inequalities ​ Bohaker and Iacovetta show how Indigenous assimilation into Canadian frameworks reinforces settler values. This portrays Canadian identity as one requiring conformity to dominant norms Hegemonic Dominance or control of groups, ideas, or worldviews is normalized and accepted as the status quo – maintaining cultural norms, ideologies and institutions Marginalization Process in which certain groups and/or communities are silenced or pushed away from society - socially, economically, politically, and culturally. ​ Reduced access to resources, opportunities, rights and support due to systematic oppression, discrimination and unequal power dynamics ​ Bohaker and Iacovetta reveal how Indigenous peoples were excluded from Canadian society, silencing their histories. This suggests Canadian identity relies on marginalizing certain groups to maintain a unified narrative.​ Week 7. Colonialism Indigeneity and Law Key Question: Why is it ‘ongoing practices of colonialism’ and not ‘legacy’ of colonialism? Colonial practices Control by one power over a dependent area or people. The policies or practices that a person or group of people engage in to exert control over Indigenous populations and their land. ​ Chartrand: Colonial practices like Indigenous over-incarceration are not historical remnants but active tools of control in systems like Canada’s penal system ​ Hanrahan: Indigenous water insecurity is sustained by ongoing colonial policies that prioritize settler interests and resource extraction. Neo-liberalism A political approach that favours free-market capitalism, deregulation and reduction in government spending. At an individual level, it may promote self-efficacy and self-esteem. “On my own” Colonial legacy hypothesis (it is a theory not a fact!!!) A hypothesis that states the effects of colonial practices in the past. A legacy of colonial practices inhibits reconciliation. ​ Chartrand: Calling colonialism a "legacy" obscures its active presence in modern systems, like the penal system. This framing avoids accountability for current inequalities by blaming history. Logics of colonialism (key word logic!!!) The ongoing colonial practices in place. Underlying structures of continuous control. ​ Chartrand: Colonial logics justify ongoing control through institutions like the penal system, framing Indigenous peoples as "problems" to manage ​ Hanrahan: Canada’s resource-driven identity relies on excluding Indigenous peoples, sustaining colonial systems