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Is Indigeneity like Ethnicity? Theorizing and Assessing Models of Indigenous Political Representation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2019

Meaghan Williams Open the ORCID record for Meaghan Williams [Opens in a new window]  and
Robert Schertzer
Meaghan Williams*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3
Robert Schertzer
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3
*
*Corresponding author. Email: meaghan.williams@mail.utoronto.ca
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Abstract

Within the broader literature on political representation, studies exploring Indigenous forms of representation are rather limited. Where they exist, they tend to explore how Western models of political representation include Indigenous peoples, conflating Indigenous groups with ethnic minorities. This article asks whether and how Indigenous political representation might be distinguished from the representation of ethnic minorities. Our argument is that Indigenous groups’ identities tend to be based on different claims and relationships to the state than ethnic groups, which leads to political mobilization seeking a means to respond to the colonial nation-state project. We develop a theoretical framework that identifies three principles that ought to inform an effective and legitimate model of Indigenous political representation: recognition, protection and decolonization. We then apply this theoretical framework to assess the extent to which existing models of Indigenous representation in Bolivia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway correspond with these three principles.

Résumé

Dans la bibliographie sur la représentation politique, les études explorant les formes autochtones de représentation sont plutôt limitées. Lorsqu'elles existent, elles ont tendance à déterminer la manière dont les modèles occidentaux de représentation politique incluent les peuples autochtones, les associant aux minorités ethniques. Cet article demande s'il convienne de distinguer la représentation politique autochtone de celle des minorités ethniques et dans quelle mesure. Notre argument est que les identités des groupes autochtones ont tendance à être fondées sur des revendications et des relations avec l'État différentes de celles des groupes ethniques, ce qui mène à une mobilisation politique recherchant le moyen de répondre au projet colonial nation-État. Nous élaborons un cadre théorique qui définit trois principes susceptibles de guider un modèle efficace et légitime de représentation politique autochtone : la reconnaissance, la protection et la décolonisation. Nous appliquons ensuite ce cadre théorique pour évaluer dans quelle mesure les modèles existants de représentation autochtone en Bolivie, au Canada, en Nouvelle-Zélande et en Norvège correspondent à ces trois principes.

Keywords

Political representationIndigenous peoplescomparative politicsethnic groups
Type
Research Article/Étude originale
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , December 2019 , pp. 677 - 696
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2019 

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