Settler: Identity and Colonialism in 21st Century Canada

Canada has never had an "Indian problem"-- but it does have a Settler problem. But what does it mean to be Settler? And why does it matter?

Through an engaging, and sometimes enraging, look at the relationships between Canada and Indigenous nations, Settler: Identity and Colonialism in 21st Century Canada explains what it means to be Settler and argues that accepting this identity is an important first step towards changing those relationships. Being Settler means understanding that Canada is deeply entangled in the violence of colonialism, and that this colonialism and pervasive violence continue to define contemporary political, economic and cultural life in Canada. It also means accepting our responsibility to struggle for change. Settler offers important ways forward -- ways to decolonize relationships between Settler Canadians and Indigenous peoples -- so that we can find new ways of being on the land, together.

This book presents a serious challenge. It offers no easy road, and lets no one off the hook. It will unsettle, but only to help Settler people find a pathway for transformative change, one that prepares us to imagine and move towards just and beneficial relationships with Indigenous nations. And this way forward may mean leaving much of what we know as Canada behind.

Author: Emma Battell Lowman, Adam J. Barker
Publisher: Fernwood Publishing
Published: 10/01/2015
Pages: 158
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781552667781


Review Citation(s):
Quill & Quire 10/01/2015 pg. 37

About the Author
Emma Battell Lowman has a PhD in sociology and history from the University of Warwick, UK, and holds an MA in history from the University of Victoria. She is a trans-Atlantic Settler of both Canadian and British nationalities.