Language Acts, Othering, and Canada’s Oppression of Indigenous Peoples
Matthias Hoenisch
Political Science
McGill University, MA
Unceded Territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka
Abstract
Since the establishment of the Canadian colonial state on Turtle Island, White settlers have used language acts and Othering as key tools for the oppression of Indigenous peoples. Through the application of these discursive tools that reframe Indigenous identities, the Canadian state has manipulated the dynamics of settler-Indigenous relations for its own benefit. In this piece, the author assesses the Canadian state’s use of language acts and Othering throughout history and asks whether modern reconciliation efforts may be understood as continuing to perpetuate Canada’s colonial structures. In their analysis the author reviews the key contemporary literature on Canadian Indigenous politics and Othering, including the works of Glen Coulthard, Debra Thompson, and Jennifer Adese.
Keywords: Indigenous, Othering, Language, Settler-Colonialism, Reconciliation