Canada and Colonialism: An Unfinished History

Review By Andrew Buck

July 25, 2024

Jim Reynolds, as lawyer and as scholarly writer, has over a number of decades worked tirelessly to both advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in British Columbia and Canada, and to widen the understanding of non-Indigenous Canadians about the realities of colonialism in Canada. With Canada and Colonialism: An Unfinished History he has brought the breadth of his wide experience in the law together with his prodigious scholarly expertise to examine with great insight the challenging question of colonialism and it historical legacy in shaping contemporary Canada.

Colonialism, as a concept, is difficult for many people to grapple with. It can seem both too general and too specific. Is it a form of imperial control, common to all the former colonies of the British Empire? Has it manifested itself in common ways? Or has it developed in different ways, reflecting the specific realities of colonial rule in different jurisdictions and different social environments? Reynolds addresses these questions with great aplomb, taking the reader on a journey both within and beyond Canada that is both illuminating and insightful. As he clearly demonstrates, a potentially “difficult” concept like colonialism can be understood and needs to be understood by all Canadians.

In terms of structure, Reynolds traces the rise and implementation of colonialism as it was manifest across the British Empire. The reader may wonder why these early chapters focus attention beyond Canada. But these chapters are essential, if one is to understand why and how colonialism in Canada emerged and developed the way it did. India, for example, perceived as the “jewel” in the Crown of the British empire was not a settler colonial project. As such the dynamic of colonialism was entirely different in India than it was in Canada. In India, a small British population of administrators, supported by a considerable military presence, oversaw a phenomenally prosperous imperial venture. But Canada, of course, was very different. In Canada, access to land was required to settle a substantial British population. For this reason, as Reynolds explains in an illuminating fashion, the impact on, and policies towards, Indigenous peoples in Canada was very different to the impact on, and policies towards, the colonized peoples of India. The reader may feel distracted by the attention given to the workings of colonialism beyond Canada, but Reynolds deals with this difference extremely effectively, to enrich our understanding of colonialism in Canada.

Another strength of the book lies with the way Reynolds demonstrates the role of culture in understanding the impact of colonialism in Canada and throughout the empire–whether it was the high artifice of Tennyson or the risible “poetry” of the notorious William McGonagall. The question of “culture” is also of crucial importance to shaping attitudes towards Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well as the attitudes of the settler population in Canada to Britain and the Empire. Reynolds deftly traces the ways in which the attempts to eradicate Indigenous cultural traditions and languages was happening simultaneously with the attempt to inculcate a pride and allegiance among the settler population to Great Britain and the British Empire.

But this is not a book of mere academic interest; it is driven by a deeply held commitment for all Canadians and particularly those of settler background to understand the ways in which colonialism has not only shaped but also inhibited movement towards meaningful reconciliation. In order to move towards that end, it is important to understand the ways in which colonialism has affected us all. Reynolds’ Canada and Colonialism is an excellent contribution to that understanding.