Reclaiming Our Stories: The Importance of Indigenous Narrative Sovereignty | NDN POV

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NDN POV elevates Indigenous voices to confront settler colonial violence in Canada. From the Doctrine of Discovery to the Indian Act to the systemic racism that pervades Canadian institutions, this is ultimately a matter of competing narratives. At its core, the NDN POV series is a deliberate assertion of Indigenous narrative sovereignty-the right of Indigenous peoples to tell their own stories on their own terms. This episode unpacks the concept of Indigenous narrative sovereignty, which is central to the broader struggle for self-determination.

From the start, European colonization of the Americas depended on dehumanizing myths-like the “savage Indian”-to justify the violent oppression and exploitation of Indigenous peoples. Such stories were reinforced endlessly over hundreds of years, to unify people around nation building efforts and ease settler guilt. Over time, Indigenous inferiority would become an unconscious bias for most settlers, which would be reinforced and exploited by those in power using the mass media. Canada has been especially skilled at projecting virtue domestically and abroad while masking a dark ongoing legacy of Indigenous subjugation. Violent indifference toward the basic human rights of Indigenous peoples has been woven into the fabric of Canadian society through false narratives and the suppression of Indigenous narrative sovereignty.

Fortunately, change is underway. In 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada dealt a staggering blow to Canada’s carefully cultivated myth of benevolence. It exposed the horrific abuses that occurred inside Indian residential schools, forcing a once self-congratulatory nation to confront the brutal realities of its colonial legacy. However, the TRC was not the singular moment of truth Canada needs for meaningful reconciliation-it was the beginning.

For far too long, Indigenous narratives have been overshadowed by an official Canadian narrative that privileges settler perspectives to the detriment of Indigenous peoples. It’s time to set the record straight. Canadians want—and need—to know the truth. NDN POV proudly presents Connie Walker, Duncan McCue, and Jesse Wente on the transformative potential of reclaiming our stories.