Settler assimilation far away: Samantha J. Kramer, Arctic Assimilation: Settler Colonialism and Racialization in the Canadian Arctic and Carlisle Indian Industrial School, MA dissertation, The College of William and Mary, 2022 | settler colonial studies blog

Settler assimilation far away: Samantha J. Kramer, Arctic Assimilation: Settler Colonialism and Racialization in the Canadian Arctic and Carlisle Indian Industrial School, MA dissertation, The College of William and Mary, 2022

11Oct22

Abstract: Previous generations of Canadian historians have focused on welfare when examining the twenty-first century colonization of the territory of Nunavut. Patrick Wolfe’s theory of settler colonialism, on the other hand, presents a form of colonialism that allows for examination through a more cultural-centric lens, while still recognizing the exploitation of economics for purposes of assimilation. Using government reports, Truth and Reconciliation Committee findings, and first-hand accounts from local Inuit, this paper takes Wolfe’s theory and analyzes how his idea of “logics of elimination” were exemplified in the Canadian government’s actions after the 1930s. The “going away” focus of settler colonialism appeared in both the physical and cultural sense within methods used by the government and the RCMP. Physical logics of elimination occurred in projects such as the various High Arctic Relocations and the building of settlements, used for the purposes of showing sovereignty and effective occupation in the north. Cultural logics of elimination took the form of actions like wildlife and game management laws, the slaughter of sled dogs, residential schools, disc numbers, Project Surname, and healthcare removal. All the above elements are examined within the paper to showcase how the theory of settler colonialism can and should be used to examine the history of the Canadian Arctic.

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