Emma Verheijke

Breaching the Guilt Taboo: Comparing Australian and Canadian Policies in Achieving Reconciliation with Their Indigenous Populations Emma Verheijke

Against the backdrop of transitional justice this work attempts to shed some light on the complex issue of reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous inhabitants in two former settler colonies: Australia and Canada. Indigenous peoples in both nation-states to this day cope with severe socioeconomic disadvantages, which is in sharp contrast with the thriving prospects and wealth of the nation-states they inhabit. Simultaneously, successive governments, as well as many of the non-indigenous inhabitants, deal with feelings of guilt - intrinsically linked to the rise of their nation-states - towards the indigenous population. The main question this work attempts to answer therefore, is to what extent Australia and Canada can benefit from each other?s experiences with regard to achieving reconciliation. Through critical assesment, from the early interactions to Nunavut and the NTER, this study emphasizes the importance of a paradigm shift: from the old structure of victims and victimizers to a new framework of constructive dialogue and indigenous empowerment.