The Wendish Research Exchange - Trudel, Pierre: Cultural Identity and Rebuilding of Indigenous Nations in Canada

Lětopis Abstract 2017 2: Trudel, Pierre: Cultural Identity and Rebuilding of Indigenous Nations in Canada

First Nations are geographically widely dispersed in Canada. Those who occupy specific territories – generally called "Indian´s reserves“ – constitute small populations. 60 % of these reserves have less than 500 habitants; only 6,5 % are occupied by more than 2 000 persons. How to conciliate "cultural security“, political self-determination and decolonization of indigenous peoples of Canada? To answer that question, we will first present the highlights of the Royal Commission on aboriginal peoples (RCAP) that was established after the 1990 Oka Crisis. We will then examine one of its key recommendations concerning the establishment of "modern polities“, that is the grouping of indigenous communities into modern nations along cultural and linguistic lines in order to significantly increase their political weight and thus ensure their cultural security on the long-run. However, it should be born in mind that such "modern“ political structures designed to strengthen and sustain aboriginal cultures conflict with the indigenous traditional culture of non-delegation of power. Third and last, we will look how First Nations respond to such a dilemma and how challenging the restructuring of about 1,000 communities into 80 nations is for the Canadian state.