David MacDonald - Edit 1
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- My name is David MacDonald,
I am a professor in the Department
of Political Science
the University of Guelph,
and I'm a Research Leadership Chair
for the College of Social and Applied
Human Sciences.
Much of my research looks at
political science
or comparative indigenous politics in
Canada and New Zealand primarily,
and I also look at comparative
race relations,
comparative genocide studies
and international relations.
I think that what's important is that
Canadians Ontarians
get a sense of responsibilities
as settlers.
And I think there's a lack
of responsibility.
There's maybe a curiosity
amongst some
and a lack of curiosity
amongst others
to know what happened in places
like the Indian residential schools,
or the starvation policies
of early government during what
we call 'The Clearing of the Plains'.
The problems of drinking water
in reserves,
I mean, these are all problems.
But we don't really, I think, as settler
Canadians have a sense of
responsibility for these things.
Part of my interest has been
to kind of get
to the truth of much of what
has occurred
and then have Canadians kind of
engage with that truth
as a prelude maybe to reconciliation,
or even to conciliation
because I don't know that we really
had a period of conciliation
before that time.
I feel like I'm improving life here
and certainly in Guelph by...
encouraging a lot more
graduate students
hopefully to come and engage
with the kinds of materials that
I'm working on, to try and create
a more diverse campus
in terms of cultural diversity, ethnic
diversity, things like that.
To also create a better environment
for settler Canadians
to feel a sense of responsibility
for the past and indigenous
present as well.
And to help Canadians and
Ontarians and people in Guelph
better understand the stakes involved
in the reconciliation process,
and what an indigenous resurgence
means for everybody
I think into the future.