Reconciliation and the Representation of Indigenous Peoples in Introductory Sociology Textbooks

Abstract The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has indicated that education has a central role to play in the reconciliation process. This article assesses how well sociology is doing in this regard by looking at what introductory textbooks say about three topics: (1) residential schools, (2) Indigenous “religion;” and (3) the social construction of Indigenous identities. The findings are mixed. While most textbooks mention the “loss of culture” and the abuse associated with those schools, discussions of intergenerational trauma could be much improved. Discussions of Indigenous religion are still guided by a Western model that has long been regarded as inappropriate to Indigenous cultures. All textbooks ignore the ways in which Indigenous identities are socially constructed and how this is linked to the dramatic growth of the Indigenous population over the last several decades. A concluding section draws upon the work of Indigenous scholars in suggesting ways of decolonizing textbooks.