Reconciliation may occur: treaty narratives as entwined disconnection

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dc.contributor.authorMonkman, Dane
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteePatzer, Jeremy (Sociology and Criminology)
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeRounce, Andrea (Political Studies)
dc.contributor.supervisorLadner, Kiera
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-04T20:21:31Z
dc.date.available2025-04-04T20:21:31Z
dc.date.issued2025-03-26
dc.date.submitted2025-03-27T09:20:47Zen_US
dc.date.submitted2025-04-04T17:39:06Zen_US
dc.degree.disciplinePolitical Studies
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts (M.A.)
dc.description.abstractThis thesis presents an in-depth exploration of Treaty Number One and its broader implications regarding the conflicting narrative frameworks that shape Indigenous-settler relations in Canada. Central to this exploration is the understanding that Treaty Number One, the first Numbered Treaty signed between Indigenous nations and the Canadian state, embodies narratives that remain unresolved and contested. Further I argue that these narratives are multifaceted and oftentimes irreconcilable due to their distinct cultural, historical, and political contexts. In developing this argument I demonstrate how the treaty was perceived by the Crown as a means to assert colonial control and expand settlement, while Indigenous perspectives considered it an agreement beginning a relationship of coexistence and mutual respect. Next, utilizing critical and decolonial theories, I explore the utility in conceiving of Indigenous peoples as subaltern groups resisting the hegemonic narrative of the colonial state and argue that Canada’s approach has been one of reinforcing its dominance through coercion and assimilation. Finally engaging with the TRC’s Calls to Action, I propose that reconciliation cannot be achieved by combining or assimilating narratives into one dominant story. Instead, I call for an ongoing dialogue valuing diverse perspectives that acknowledge the complex interplay of narratives that constitute our understanding of treaties. Ultimately, this thesis concludes that a more comprehensive understanding of treaties can only be achieved through recognizing and valuing the multiplicity of narratives, grounded within material conditions and understanding of colonial power dynamics. In other words, a reconceptualization of treaty relations that embraces the possibility of multiple truths coexisting, rather than striving for a singular reconciled narrative which defines the nation.
dc.description.noteMay 2025
dc.description.sponsorshipAboriginal Issues Press Scholarship
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/38986
dc.language.isoeng
dc.subjectTreaty
dc.subjectTreaty Number One
dc.subjectTreaty Relations
dc.subjectDecolonial Theory
dc.subjectCritical Theory
dc.subjectTreaty Constitutionalism
dc.titleReconciliation may occur: treaty narratives as entwined disconnection
local.subject.manitobayes
oaire.awardNumber44266
oaire.awardTitleDuff Roblin Political Studies Fellowship
project.funder.nameUniversity of Manitoba
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