Decolonizing Settler States

Decolonizing Settler States:

Unravelling Systemic Blockages to Indigenous Rights in State Institutions and Civil Society

Despite Canada's UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2021), meaningful implementation remains elusive. The Decolonizing Settler States responds to the persistent gap between the recognition of Indigenous rights in international instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (“the UN Declaration”) and the uneven implementation of these rights in practice. Despite growing international consensus on the importance of Indigenous self-determination, land rights, and free, prior, and informed consent, settler state institutions continue to impose systemic blockages that undermine Indigenous governance and limit the transformative potential of the UN Declaration.

At the same time, Indigenous Peoples themselves are innovating powerful approaches to rights implementation, drawing on their own laws, traditions, and political strategies. Yet these efforts are often under-documented, insufficiently shared across regions, or overlooked in academic and policy debates. The project therefore set out to bridge these gaps by bringing community-based experiences into conversation with academic research and international policy processes, ensuring that Indigenous voices guide both scholarship and practice.

This project is supported by the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Partnership Development Grant (2021-2025).