Framing Indigenous–Settler Relations within British Columbia's Modern Treaty Context: A Discourse Analysis of the Maa-nulth Treaty in Mainstream Media

Abstract

Media plays an integral role in (re)producing our social construction of reality. When viewed in light of Canada's colonial legacy, media's power has undoubtedly been implicated in circumscribing Indigenous peoples and Indigenous-settler relations. Employing a discourse analysis of mainstream media covering the recent (2011) implementation of a comprehensive land claims agreement in British Columbia, this study investigates how media has framed contemporary Indigenous-settler relations within the Canadian state. Findings indicate that mainstream media predominantly relies on stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and tends to neglect historical and current political complexities, thereby perpetuating stagnant Indigenous-settler relations. Concluding with empirically derived recommendations, this article points to education reform to create more robust mainstream media able to address stagnated (re)constructions of Indigenous-settler relations.

An exploration of Indigenous‐settler relations in the Port Alberni Valley, British Columbia regarding implementation of the 2011 Maa‐nulth Treaty

“…Worth noting, provincial and national media coverage of the Maa‐nulth Treaty was preoccupied with the economic impact of the agreement (Sloan Morgan and Castleden ), while the Alberni Valley Times discussed a broader range of topics such as: signatory First Nations relations with local resource sectors (Morrow ); First Nations opposition of, and support for, the Maa‐nulth Treaty (Morrow ); changes to the negotiations process, including the appointment of new representatives (Caranci ); resolutions to overlapping land claims (Morrow ); and reports on Treaty celebrations (Thomson ). In short, local media reports discussed the themes evoked by participants in our study, with an emphasis on local relations between First Nations, industry, and government as well as updates on treaty talks.…”

Co-Created Learning: Decolonizing Journalism Education in Canada

“…Harding argues that Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations, as well as land policies, Indigenous schooling, housing, health care, and other issues, must be understood within the context of this historical news framing that informs non-Indigenous opinions and plays "a decisive role in promulgating racist ideology and in maintaining white dominance in Canada" (p. 206). Similarly, Morgan and Castleden (2014) note that when reporting on land issues, print media in Canada rely on stereotypes, oversimplifications, and ahistorical frames that are devoid of discussions of ideology and colonialism, thereby negatively shaping modern land treaties and Indigenous/settler relations. Gilchrist's (2010) comparison of the Canadian news coverage of missing white and Indigenous women finds that cases of missing white women are covered six times more often than cases of missing Indigenous women.…”

Our Hands at Work: Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Western Canada

“…Many of these initiatives are embedded in community, and there has been little opportunity for communities to share and learn from one another. The food issues facing Indigenous communities continue to be presented in negative ways, and good news stories and Indigenous voices are often missing from media accounts (Follett, 2010;Sloan-Morgan & Castleden, 2014). Tuck (2009) has described the harm of "damage centered" research that continues to perpetuate notions that Indigenous peoples and their communities are damaged and exist in a state of defeat.…”