DECOLONIZING SPACE AND PLACE
SPECTRUMS OF SETTLER SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY IN CANADA
Abstract
This study, conducted from a Settler perspective, investigates the notion of sovereignty in relation to Indigenous nations. To contribute to existing literature, this study seeks to explore Settler endorsement, antipathy, comprehension, and rejection of Indigenous sovereignty in Canada. Based on qualitative survey responses, results will show a range of positions, for example: support for Indigenous self-determination, reticence on the basis of economic and national unity concerns, perceptions of Indigenous sovereignty as violating some norm of equality, and beyond. Generally, Settlers are found to be lacking in basic understandings of history and legal concepts underlying Indigenous sovereignty and imagined spaces for both Indigenous nations and Settlers. In this context, the study is part of a broader discourse on Reconciliation which has been said to require improvement in education and awareness among Settlers regarding Indigenous sovereignty.
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