Full Description
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's final report marked a new moment in national consciousness: a recognition of Indigenous histories, an awareness of the injustices committed by Settlers and their governments, and an understanding of the need for redress and the restoration of rights. At the time, Settler populations largely voiced support for these recommendations and committed to a more just future; in the years since, words have eclipsed actions.
In Shallow River of Tears Andrew Basso and Andrea Perrella mobilize four years of survey research to understand why Reconciliation has stalled. They draw from one of the largest databases of Settler attitudes to explain support for - and resistance to - what they term "Reconciliaction": real change that fosters individual and community success while remedying past and ongoing harms. The authors identify and analyze key stages preceding action on the part of Settlers: denial, recognition, sympathy, and empathy. These variables are measured against public opinion to offer a solid empirical foundation for effecting sociopolitical change and moving Reconciliation forward.
Thoughtful and provocative, this book provides guidance for students, scholars, practitioners - indeed, all systemically empowered Settlers - so they may choose to act in support of Reconciliation and the second chance it provides.
Contents
Tables and Figure ix
Foreword xi
Elder Malcolm Saulis (Nil Na Abis)
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction - A Squandered Second Chance? 3
1 Foundational Violence: Settler Colonial Atrocity 14
2 Justice without Transition: Locating Reconciliation 44
3 Moving the Needle: Settler Support for ReconciliACTION 65
4 Denial: Overcoming the Final Stage of Genocide 94
5 Recognition: Facing Up to the Past Through Productive Shame 118
6 Thin Sympathy: Connecting the Dots 142
7 Empathy: Harnessing Emotional Power 167
8 Catalyzing Change: Pathways to Reconciliation 185
9 The Head and the Heart: Exploring Intergroup Engagement 208
10 Intractability: Reconciliation Hindered from Below 226
11 Judicial Bushwhacking: Limited Reconciliation Through the Courts 244
12 Genuine Leadership: Breaking the Injustice Equilibrium from Above 261
Conclusion - The Canoe and the Ship: Navigating a Shallow River 285
Notes 297
Index 373
