Indigenous Policies in Canada

How can a country that prides itself on reconciliation still reproduce colonial inequalities? In this powerful and accessible book, political scientist Thierry Rodon and Innu researcher Hélène Boivin trace more than five centuries of Indigenous–state relations to reveal how Canada's policies toward First Nations, Inuit, and Métis have evolved—and where they continue to fail.

From the first alliances of New France to today's struggles over land, self-government, and resource development, the authors uncover the contradictions at the heart of Canadian policy: recognition without true equality, consultation without consent, progress shadowed by persistent injustice. Yet this is also a story of resilience. Across every chapter, Indigenous Peoples emerge not as victims of history, but as political actors who have shaped—and continue to reshape—the country. With clear analysis, supported by data, and comparative perspectives from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, Indigenous Policies in Canada offers an indispensable guide to understanding how colonialism endures—and how it can be dismantled. Featuring a moving foreword by Senator Michèle Audette, this book invites readers to look beyond reconciliation as rhetoric and imagine a future grounded in respect, recognition, and shared responsibility.

This text is a vital read for students, policymakers, and anyone seeking to understand the real foundations—and the unfinished work—of reconciliation in Canada.

Thierry Rodon is a full professor in the Department of Political Science at Laval University and Research Chair on Sustainable Development in the North. He is also director of the Interuniversity Center for Indigenous Studies and Research (CIERA), and directs MinErAL, an international research network on the relationship between extractive industries and Indigenous communities. The author of numerous publications on Aboriginal politics, treaties, and self-government in Canada, he studies Aboriginal and northern politics in Canada and in the circumpolar world.

Hélène Boivin is a member of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation, one of the nine Innu First Nations of the province of Québec, located in Mashteuiatsh on the northwest shore of Lac Saint Jean. She is currently Director of the Indigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects and Consultant specializing in historical and contemporary issues and realities of Canadian First Nations. She was the director of intergovernmental affairs for the community and has been involved in land claim negotiations since 1995.