Reconciliation, Decolonization and Indigenization in the Academy
A CRITICAL examinATION of the language of reconciliation and indigenization, highlighting how settler institutions co-opt these terms without enacting real change.
In this essay, I highlight that the commonly used language of reconciliation implies a false history of respectful relationships between colonial governments and Indigenous peoples.
Additionally, settler institutions often adopt the language of decolonization and indigenization without enacting meaningful change, further perpetuating neocolonial structures.
To achieve Indigenous self-determination, both Indigenous peoples and settlers must actively disrupt and abolish these structures, prioritizing Indigenous knowledge and governance instead of the future of academia.
"The violence that has been inflicted upon Indigenous peoples through Canadian educational institutions must not be downplayed or understated."
Written For: Professor Eva Jewell (Toronto Metropolitan University)
Categories: reconciliation, decolonization, indigenization, academia
Year: 2022
