A Few Choice Words: Discourse, Decolonization and the Dissolution of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

Throughout its tenure, the Trudeau government has made public commitments to reform the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples. In particular, the Trudeau government’s decision to dissolve Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and divide its mandate into two separate departments: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Department of Indigenous Services Canada has been framed as an avenue for decolonization. This paper seeks to determine, through an analysis of the new departmental changes, whether this reform exemplifies the federal government’s claims that it will facilitate decolonization and build an equitable relationship between the Canadian government and Indigenous Peoples. This study also analyzes the Trudeau government’s discourse using a critical discourse analysis to evaluate the rhetoric and intentions surrounding the federal government’s decision to dissolve INAC. From these analyses, it is evident that the dissolution of INAC does not coincide with the reconciliatory and decolonization discourse the federal government employs.