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Decolonizing The Empathic Settler Mind: An Autoethnographic Inquiry, Norman George Dale

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Public and scholarly analysis of the troubled relations of Natives and non-Natives (settlers) has been predominantly directed to the former, long-framed as “the Indian Problem.” This dissertation takes the different stance of focusing on the mind-sets of settlers and their society in perpetuating the trans-historical trauma and injustice resulting from foundational acts of dispossession.The approach is autoethnographic:after considering the settler world in which I grew up, critical episodes and developments in my career working with British Columbian First Nations are described and analyzed.This includes working with Kwakwaka’wakw, Haida, Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk and Lheidli T’enneh Nations over a 25-year period.I also look …