Reconciliation or Colonial Continuity? A Critical Perspective from a Newcomer

Abstract

This paper critically examines the concept of reconciliation in Canada from a newcomer's perspective, interrogating its role in disrupting or perpetuating colonial continuity. Drawing on personal and political reflections, this analysis challenges the narrative of Canada as a reconciler and highlights the state’s historical and ongoing role in Indigenous dispossession and cultural erasure. By engaging thinkers such as Glen Coulthard, Romeo Saganash, Norma Dunning and Elders, the paper critiques settler policies and further investigates how recognition policies reassert colonial authority under the guise of reconciliation. The paper concludes by advocating for a shift beyond symbolic gestures toward structural transformation that centers Indigenous determinations and worldviews. In doing so, it calls on non-Indigenous individuals to move beyond passive solidarity and engage critically and responsibly in the work of decolonization.