Canada’s Challenges toward Decolonization and the Next Steps

Below is a course paper during my Peace and Conflict Studies. The core concepts of the course used non-violent resistance as the primary approach for resolving conflict, including violent conflict. The most influential study statistically proved that non-violent resistance (NVR) is the most sound approach to winning a conflict. This study by Chenoweth and Stephan (2008) should be primary source of reasoning as to why violent conflict should never occur.

Other parts of the course included peacebuilding approaches and differenc mechanisms to enable peacebuilding. I focused my research on the Aboriginal and Canada relationship. Below is the course paper, reproduced.

Abstract

While Canada has built a reputation as peacekeepers as Lester B Pearson won the nobel peace prize for creating the UN Peacekeeping Forces as a non-partisan body to reinforce ceasefires, Canada itself suffers from a different conflict. From the long colonization process, harsh treatments of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada were assimilated to become "Canadian". Methods that were used include land and resource control, culturual genocide, disenfrancishement and disempowerment of the peoples, and the infamous residential schools. Over 200 years of systematic cultural genocide and colonization continues to this day. This paper presents one possible solution of decolonization and reconciliation through the study of peace and conflict scholars, Aboriginal grassroots initiatives, the Calls of Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), and the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). 

Canada’s Challenges toward Decolonization and the Next Steps

The Conceptual Framework

The arrival of European settlers to North America required the help of the Aboriginal peoples of North America. Disease, war and broken promises killed, assimilated and created a two century-long genocide against the Aboriginals who had helped the settlers. European politics took precedence and changed the face of the land leading toward the creation of a new country over existing ones. The struggle and battles carry long lasting effects of colonization which is still ongoing to this day without resolve. The aim of the paper is to examine the challenges ahead of Canada’s decolonization process and give recommendations for a stronger reconciliation process. Discussion of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 based on Terra Nullius sets the stage for Canada’s current Aboriginal issues regarding UN Declaration of Rights on Indigenous People (UNDRIP), Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada, land, treaties, relationships and community impacts and how these recommendations can move Aboriginals and settlers working together toward a peaceful and equitable co-existence.