Reconciliation must ‘truly benefit Indigenous peoples’: Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, ‘”We’re Going to Reconciliation the Shit Out of You”: Canadian Liberal Settler Violence and the Possibilities for True Reconciliation’, in Marcos S. Scauso (ed.), Indomitable Others and Liberal Violences: Critique, Contestation, and Resistance in World Politics, Bristol University Press, 2026, pp. 101-118 | settler colonial studies blog

Reconciliation must ‘truly benefit Indigenous peoples’: Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, ‘”We’re Going to Reconciliation the Shit Out of You”: Canadian Liberal Settler Violence and the Possibilities for True Reconciliation’, in Marcos S. Scauso (ed.), Indomitable Others and Liberal Violences: Critique, Contestation, and Resistance in World Politics, Bristol University Press, 2026, pp. 101-118

24May26

Abstract: This chapter critically examines the complexities settlers of color face in Canada as they navigate settler colonial society, emphasizing that assimilation into ‘whiteness’ remains unattainable and problematic. The author argues that genuine Reconciliation is not a comfortable task to be checked off, but a challenging, ongoing process requiring accountability, relationship-building, and a decentering of settler perspectives. Drawing on Indigenous scholarship, the text highlights Indigenous resurgence as a transformative reconciliatory framework, where the end goal is the revitalization of Indigenous nations and community knowledge systems. This resurgence, the author contends, should not depend on settler approval or be limited by colonial structures. Instead, it creates parallel paths: settlers must undertake the difficult labor of centering Indigenous voices and relinquishing self-interest, while Indigenous peoples reclaim relationships with land, kin, and tradition. Ultimately, Reconciliation should support Indigenous communities in building liberatory futures, rather than perpetuating settler hegemony or merely alleviating settler guilt. The work is iterative and complex, aiming to repair harm and foster genuine collaboration, setting the stage for future discussions on how Reconciliation can truly benefit Indigenous peoples.

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