Definition: ‘Settler’

February 25, 2015 | Feature | Volume 19 Issue 5
Elaine Enns |

The term “settler” for Canadians of European descent was popularized by Roger Epp in his 2008 book, We are all Treaty People. This term acknowledges—rather than ignores—the conflicted history of the colonial project that began in Eastern Canada in the late 1500s. In the Canadian west in the late 19th century, the Canadian government aggressively recruited Europeans, including Mennonites, for the express purpose of settling and populating land on the Prairies that was being “opened up.” The problem, of course, was that these lands were traditional native territory. Thus, “settlement” can never be separated from the legacy of colonization and its injustices.

—Posted Feb. 25, 2015

This is a sidebar to the feature story, "Facing history with courage"

See also: Making ‘restorative solidarity’ work

Share this page: Twitter Instagram

Add new comment

Canadian Mennonite invites comments and encourages constructive discussion about our content. Actual full names (first and last) are required. Comments are moderated and may be edited. They will not appear online until approved and will be posted during business hours. Some comments may be reproduced in print.