Indigenous Peoples Colonialism

Throughout Canadian history, the effects of colonialism have hindered the reclamation process between Indigenous Peoples and their land. During the “Art of Engaging Difference” workshop, I was inspired by Dr. Rhonda Breitkreuz’ thought-provoking discussion where she revealed the difference between tolerating the existence of Indigenous Peoples in contrast to respecting their culture, heritage, and history. With the upcoming sesquicentennial anniversary of Canadian Confederation, otherwise known as the 150th anniversary of the country, I have decided to write about the important of engaging the Indigenous experience within this pivotal event. That being stated, in addressing the implications of “convergence liberalism” and “illiberal fundamentalism” with respect to Indigenous history (Benson & Fielding, 2010, p. 14-60), I argue that the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary needs to allow for an “enlarged mentality” (Benson & Fielding, 2010, p. 54) and create an inclusive space in addressing the colonialization of the Indigenous Peoples. In order to understand the need for an enlarged mentality surrounding the topic of Indigenous versus settler history, it is first necessary to understand the effects of convergence liberalism and illiberal fundamentalism. According to Benson and Fielding (2010),
Personally, I am in favor of adding the ‘plus’ because it alters the narrative and undercurrents of the event and reclaims the title back to the Indigenous sphere. In reference to the need for an expanded space in order to consider others’ viewpoints (Benson & Fielding, 2010; Goa, 2015), it is imperative that the event challenges the “idea of 1867 as a starting point” because it is “a tale that stretches back not 150 years, but 12,000” (Macdonald, 2017, para.