A Fair Exchange?

When elected in 2015, the Liberal government promised a transformed relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples, a new nation-to-nation era. Since then, national and regional media have periodically scored Ottawa on that commitment, especially as it relates to resource development, health care, clean drinking water, and, most recently, unmarked graves at former Indian residential schools. Much less attention, however, has been paid to questions of literature.

Movements within Indigenous literary studies are increasingly focused on issues of self-determination, decolonization, and linguistic revitalization. This focus isn’t exactly compatible with government efforts to promote Canadian literature as a generous container that can happily accommodate all writing. In fact, it is at odds with recent cultural diplomacy initiatives, particularly Canada’s role as the guest of honour...