De/colonization: perspectives on/by indigenous populations in global Canadian contexts

This article offers systematic review of literature on the educational colonization of Indigenous populations within global Canadian contexts. Questions guiding this study were, ‘What colonizing dynamics exist in education for Canadian aboriginal populations, and what decolonizing dynamics suggest progress or advancement?’ Across disciplines, sources were located with perspectives on decolonizing education for aboriginal populations, in addition to policy reforms and effects on aboriginal learning. Using a document analysis approach, 85 articles and reports identifying colonizing and decolonizing dynamics were analyzed. Four overarching themes revealing de/colonizing dynamics within Canada emerged: colonizing through testing cultures; building Indigenous education system-wide; unsettling colonial teaching and learning; and unpacking discourse central to decolonization. What Canadian Indigenous literature imparts about colonization and the future is socially, politically, and educationally important. Tribal justice – an enduring problem of humanity – is a collective and global responsibility for which interventions are needed. Social, political, and educational recommendations from the literature are advanced for building up a glocal perspective that enriches the contribution of this work to the wider literature.