Settler and State Politics of Indigenous Reconciliation
Overview
The recognition of Indigenous sovereignty remains far removed from the visions of Indigenous leaders, stilted by the interests of the state and by the political interests and opinions of settler citizens. Nonetheless, US and Canadian policy has made some space for the development of new forms of Indigenous governance and newly articulated relationships between the state and Indigenous nations. My work examines the emergence of hybrid policy paradigms as it relates to federal modern land claims policy. As well, I am beginning to explore in greater depth the dynamics of settler identity and policy preferences in Canada, and how the settler majority influences policy outcomes.
Featured Publications
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Incomplete Sovereigns: Explaining Variation in Indigenous Self-Governance in the United States and Canada
This paper investigates two key aspects of variation in Indigenous self- determination in the United States and Canada: (1) institutional histories embedded in geography, and (2) the temporal nature of policy frameworks. I argue that the full realization of Indigenous self-determination has been shaped by these two factors, and has ultimately been limited by the intersection of embedded institutional legacies and federal political dynamics.
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Negotiating Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada: An Analysis of the Inuvialuit Experience
This article examines the puzzle of why the Inuvialuit, in the Northwest Territories, have not yet finalized negotiations around self-government, despite the enhanced institutional and governance resources achieved in their 1984 modern land claims agreement with the federal government. We argue that a number of institutional and non-institutional factors – including, paradoxically, the finalized land claim – have prevented the successful completion of self-government negotiations.
