“Was It Really That Bad?”: Residential School Denialism and the Politics of Disbelief
Release Date: 04/14/2025
Recognition at Last?
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Episode 9 – Recognition at Last? How the Nisga’a Nation changed Canadian law—and why recognition wasn’t enough. In 1973, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a landmark ruling in Calder v. British Columbia, a case that brought the concept of Aboriginal title into Canadian law for the first time. Led by Frank Calder and the Nisga’a Nation, the case challenged British Columbia’s long-standing denial of Indigenous land rights and helped shift national policy toward negotiating land claims. But while Calder marked a turning point, it didn’t deliver justice on its own. Recognition, it...
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Unceded and Unsettled
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Unceded and Unsettled: The Empty Promises of the Douglas Treaties What does it mean when land is called “unceded”? And what happens when treaties weren’t real agreements at all? In this episode, we travel to Vancouver Island in the 1850s to examine the Douglas Treaties—short, one-sided agreements signed between the Crown and several Indigenous nations. Host Chris Bolster explores how these so-called treaties created the illusion of consent while paving the way for Crown land claims, resource extraction, and settler occupation. We also unpack the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the legal...
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Staring Down the State
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Episode 7: Staring Down the State What does real decolonization look like? In this episode, we return to the summer of 1990—to the barricades at Kanehsatà:ke and the standoff that came to be known as the Oka Crisis. Through archival reflections and critical scholarship, we unpack what that moment revealed about Canada’s colonial foundations—and how its lessons still resonate. We hear from historian Sean Carleton, who reflects on Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s response to the crisis and the lasting legacy of military intervention against Indigenous land defenders. We explore the...
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You Didn't Settle Anything, Right?
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“I didn’t settle anything.” It’s one of the most common things settlers say when the topic of colonialism comes up. But the truth is, being a settler isn’t about what your ancestors did. It’s about where we stand now—and how we benefit from a system built on dispossession. In this episode of Reconsidering Canada, host Chris Bolster explores what it means to be called a “settler” in a country that calls itself post-colonial. We examine how treaties were broken, land was redistributed, and stories were built to obscure the truth. Through the lens of the Papaschase Cree, the...
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The Reconciliation Industry?
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When two BC MLAs dismissed Indigenous sovereignty as “unfounded” and described reconciliation as an “industry,” they weren’t just engaging in political rhetoric; they were defending colonialism. In this episode of Reconsidering Canada, host Chris Bolster unpacks the backlash, dissects the myths, and challenges the growing movement of settler denial dressed up as common sense. We examine the legal foundations of Indigenous sovereignty, revisit BC’s history of treaty refusal, and trace how colonial erasure is being reframed as inclusion. Reconciliation isn’t a scam; it’s a...
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They Didn't Mean to Kill Them
Reconsidering Canada
Content Warnings: This episode discusses residential schools, systemic neglect, child death, colonial violence, and genocide. Listener discretion is advised. They Didn't Mean to Kill Them... "They died of tuberculosis." "No one meant to hurt them." "The chiefs asked for education." These are the phrases settlers use when confronted with the truth about residential schools. Some are rooted in confusion. Others are part of a deeper refusal to see what this system was meant to do. In this episode of Reconsidering Canada, we dig into the emotional and political purpose of settler denial—how it...
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Letting Go of the Good Canadian
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Canada loves to tell stories about its kindness, fairness, and moral superiority. But what happens when settlers begin to let go of those comforting myths? In this episode, we explore the enduring power of the “Good Canadian” narrative—and what gets revealed when we finally start asking who it serves. We begin with the story of the Komagata Maru, a ship of South Asian migrants turned away by Canada in 1914, and the political movement that sought to challenge the racial borders of the British Empire. We trace how this history—and others like it—have been overshadowed by slogans,...
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What We Buried: Truth, Denial, and the Settler Reckoning
Reconsidering Canada
Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of residential schools, colonial violence, and denialism. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses the legacy of residential schools and critiques efforts to deny or distort that history. It draws on survivor testimony, historical research, and public statements. All efforts have been made to represent the facts responsibly. In May 2021, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Nation announced the results of a ground survey near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School: 215 potential graves. The country responded with grief,...
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Reconsidering Canada - Trailer
Reconsidering Canada
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“Was It Really That Bad?”: Residential School Denialism and the Politics of Disbelief
Reconsidering Canada
What happens when political candidates question the truth about Canada’s residential school system? In this episode, Chris Bolster confronts the rise of residential school denialism—fueled by figures like Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn—and explores what’s at stake when settlers reject the word “genocide.” From soft denial to full-on revisionism, this episode unpacks how historical truth is being distorted to protect national myths, settler comfort, and political power. Featuring survivor voices and a call to moral clarity, this episode is a powerful challenge to the idea that...
info_outlineWhat happens when political candidates question the truth about Canada’s residential school system? In this episode, Chris Bolster confronts the rise of residential school denialism—fueled by figures like Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn—and explores what’s at stake when settlers reject the word “genocide.”
From soft denial to full-on revisionism, this episode unpacks how historical truth is being distorted to protect national myths, settler comfort, and political power. Featuring survivor voices and a call to moral clarity, this episode is a powerful challenge to the idea that Canada’s colonial past is just a matter of interpretation.
Content warning: This episode discusses residential school trauma, denialism, and genocide. Listener discretion is advised.
Resources for Further Learning:
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The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Final Report
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Sean Carleton – Lessons in Legitimacy
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Cindy Blackstock – First Nations Child and Family Caring Society
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Orange Shirt Society – orangeshirtday.org