Settler philanthropy reinforces settler colonialism (even when they say they’d rather not): Damien Lee, ‘Remaining Unreconciled: Philanthropy and Indigenous Governance in Canada’, aboriginal policy studies, 10, 2, 2023, pp. 3-32 | settler colonial studies blog

Settler philanthropy reinforces settler colonialism (even when they say they’d rather not): Damien Lee, ‘Remaining Unreconciled: Philanthropy and Indigenous Governance in Canada’, aboriginal policy studies, 10, 2, 2023, pp. 3-32

04Feb23

Abstract: Canadian philanthropic foundations are increasingly engaged in reconciliation-focused activities with Indigenous peoples. However, reconciliation can uphold colonial relations if care is not taken to support the resurgence of inherent Indigenous governance systems. I therefore argue that to the extent that Canada and the philanthropic community are serious about decolonizing their relationships with Indigenous nations, Canadian tax law will need to find ways to defer to Indigenous leaders who prefer not to reconcile every aspect of their political systems with the Canadian state. The paper identifies the Income Tax Act as part of what upholds settler colonialism within the philanthropic sector, specifically exploring how the concept of “qualified donee status” impedes inherent Indigenous leaders from engaging with philanthropic foundations on their own terms. Examples of inherent Indigenous governance systems are provided.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Closed

%d bloggers like this: