The global view of Indigeneity has provided for a rich and diverse collection of literature on Indigeneity and the 21st-century Indigenous experience. Indigeneity cannot be discussed without a review of the colonial politics, policies, and practices that have historically worked to reinforce acculturation and the erasure of Indigenous identities and lifeways.

Decolonization requires non-Indigenous Canadians to recognize and accept the reality of Canada’s colonial history, accept how that history paralyzed Indigenous Peoples, and how it continues to subjugate Indigenous Peoples. Decolonization requires non-Indigenous individuals, governments, institutions and organizations to create the space and support for Indigenous Peoples to reclaim all that was taken from them.

Decolonization once viewed as the formal process of handing over the instruments of government, is now recognized as a long-term process involving the bureaucratic, cultural, linguistic and psychological divesting of colonial power. Decolonization is about shifting the way Indigenous Peoples view themselves and the way non-Indigenous people view Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are reclaiming the family, community, culture, language, history and traditions that were taken from them under the federal government policies designed for assimilation. Some communities are reclaiming control via self-government agreements, treaties, or other negotiated agreements.

There is an enormous diversity among Indigenous populations in Alberta, and we need to continue improving our understanding of how mainstream discourses have misrepresented Indigenous people's experiences. This means understanding the people whose land we are on, the Treaties in place that protect their rights and sovereignty, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

10 Gotanda, N. (1991). A critique of ‘our constitution Is colour-blind.' Stanford Law Review, 44 (1), 1-68. 11 Henry, F., & Tator, C. (2006). The colour of democracy: Racism in Canadian society. 3rd Ed. Toronto, ON: Nelson.

Decolonization’s Challenge with EDI

Diversity is the practice of mixing together different bodies within a common organization. It has been the go-to resource for white owned or operated businesses and organizations that are trying to ensure they are socially responsible. However, diversity is still in the interest of those in power. By taking advantage of the various experiences and vantage points of different racial, gender, sexual, or able backgrounds, diversity only celebrates difference in order to exploit multiculturalism for its economic value.

Diversity and inclusion tend to whitewash and undermine the very basis of the value they seek to proffer: access to resources, representation, and power to identity groups that lack them.

Decolonization requires meaningful and active resistance, with its ultimate purpose is to overturn the colonial structure and realize Indigenous liberation. In other words, in order to achieve freedom it is critical to go beyond diversity and inclusion, to take concrete action that leads to more equitable distributions of land, power, and privilege.