Key Takeaways
- Reconciliatory backsliding is a phenomenon where governments repeal or alter legislation and policies designed to protect the collective rights of Indigenous communities.
- Canada is experiencing reconciliatory backsliding, with recent examples including the Alberta government’s legislation to prevent mandatory Indigenous issues training for lawyers and the B.C. Conservative Party’s call to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
- National myths that downplay the wrongs of colonialism and cast reconciliatory actions as unnecessary or unfair contribute to backlash and backsliding.
- Creative and compelling strategies, such as discussion groups, are needed to push back on harmful myths and promote reconciliation.
- Reconciliatory backsliding is a global phenomenon, with examples in New Zealand and Australia.
Introduction to Reconciliatory Backsliding
Over the last decade, Canada has positioned itself as a leader in pursuing reconciliation with its Indigenous Peoples. However, recent events suggest that the country may be experiencing reconciliatory backsliding, a term that describes the repeal or alteration of legislation, policies, and processes designed to protect the collective rights of Indigenous communities. Examples of this include the Alberta government’s legislation to prevent the Law Society of Alberta from requiring lawyers to take a mandatory training course on Indigenous issues and the B.C. Conservative Party’s call to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. These events may signal the beginning of a troubling trend, and immediate action is needed to reverse it.
Confronting National Myths
To address reconciliatory backsliding, it is essential to confront the national myths that drive backlash and backsliding. These myths downplay the wrongs of colonialism and cast reconciliatory actions as unnecessary or unfair. Convincing Canadians who believe these myths to change their minds is a significant undertaking, and merely presenting evidence against them is unlikely to be effective. Instead, creative and compelling strategies are needed to push back on harmful myths and promote reconciliation. One promising approach is the use of discussion groups, such as those hosted by Circles for Reconciliation in Manitoba, which bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians together in conversation. Research has shown that these conversations can change participants’ views and make them more eager to take reconciliatory action.
The Rhetoric of Reconciliation
The rhetoric surrounding reconciliatory policy is also crucial in preventing backsliding. Pro-reconciliatory leaders should frame reconciliation as a way of making Canada stronger, while ensuring that the intent behind these words is honest and true. This approach can help to build support for reconciliatory policies among non-Indigenous Canadians. Additionally, leaders should be aware of the potential for backlash and take steps to address it. This can involve acknowledging the concerns of non-Indigenous Canadians and working to find solutions that balance their interests with the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples.
Causes of Reconciliatory Backsliding
Research suggests that the primary cause of reconciliatory backsliding is the emergence of settler backlash, which arises when key material and symbolic resources become scarce and contested. In these situations, dominant social groups can develop collective resentment and negative feelings toward other groups that threaten their longstanding control over these resources. This backlash can be seen in Canada, where some non-Indigenous Canadians have opposed reconciliatory policies, such as the renaming of public infrastructure or the signing of modern treaties. Backlash can also emerge when reconciliatory policies challenge deeply held national myths and origin stories or infringe on the property rights of non-Indigenous people.
Global Examples of Reconciliatory Backsliding
Reconciliatory backsliding is not unique to Canada; it is a global phenomenon. In New Zealand, for example, the government has rolled back reconciliatory actions, reducing the use of the Māori language in government and limiting Māori claims to the coastline. Similarly, in Australia, a referendum on recognizing Indigenous Australians in the constitution and providing them with a representative body in parliament was defeated, in part due to backlash-stoking misinformation. These examples demonstrate that reconciliatory backsliding can occur even in countries that have made significant progress in reconciliation.
Implications for Canada
The examples of New Zealand and Australia serve as a warning for Canada, where reconciliatory backsliding has not yet reached the same level. However, the country is not immune to this phenomenon, and the hard-won victories of Indigenous Peoples may be clawed back without intervention. The approval of legislation to fast-track infrastructure approval and a pipeline to the B.C. coast has been decried by some Indigenous leaders, who worry that their concerns will not be respected. These policies, if pursued without adequate respect for Indigenous self-determination, may mark the beginning of an era of significant reconciliatory backsliding in Canada. It is essential for Canadian citizens and policymakers to pay attention to these trends and take action to prevent backsliding, lest the progress toward reconciliation be lost.
