In the fall of 2001, British Columbia s newly-elected
Liberal government organized a series of public
hearings to collect citizen input on the
principles that should guide treaty negotiation.
These hearings were established to renew the
stalled treaty process in B.C., which had failed to
yield any modern treaties in the province.
However, rather than providing space for meaningful
engagement with the issue of Indigenous land claims
in B.C., the public hearings reiterated colonial
exclusions. In this discourse analysis, the process
of public democracy is deconstructed to
emphasize the multiple ways through which the
government and numerous presenters reiterated the
colonial status quo. The reiteration of colonial
principles was enabled through common-sense appeals
to liberal democratic principles, such as freedom,
equality, individualism, and a reduced role for the
state. This critical analysis will be of interest to
scholars and students working in the areas of
Canadian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Political
Science, and Sociology, along with anyone seeking a
comprehensive understanding of persisting colonial
practices in contemporary Canada.
Liberal government organized a series of public
hearings to collect citizen input on the
principles that should guide treaty negotiation.
These hearings were established to renew the
stalled treaty process in B.C., which had failed to
yield any modern treaties in the province.
However, rather than providing space for meaningful
engagement with the issue of Indigenous land claims
in B.C., the public hearings reiterated colonial
exclusions. In this discourse analysis, the process
of public democracy is deconstructed to
emphasize the multiple ways through which the
government and numerous presenters reiterated the
colonial status quo. The reiteration of colonial
principles was enabled through common-sense appeals
to liberal democratic principles, such as freedom,
equality, individualism, and a reduced role for the
state. This critical analysis will be of interest to
scholars and students working in the areas of
Canadian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Political
Science, and Sociology, along with anyone seeking a
comprehensive understanding of persisting colonial
practices in contemporary Canada.