CNDS 5501: Decolonizing Canada? Theories for Decolonization and Anti-Colonial Politics Instructor: Phil Henderson, PhD, Seminar: Fall 2023 Location: Office Hours: , also available by appointment Course Description: In 1960, as the first wave of post-war anti-colonial struggles was cresting, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the illegitimacy of colonial rule and the right of self-de- termination for all peoples, describing “the process of liberation” as “irresistible and irreversible.” This process fundamentally reshaped the political face of the world, more than tripling the number of recog- nized nations in the three decades following WWII. In spite of this, for many peoples self-determination remains illusive; this is particularly true in what are often called “settler colonial” contexts. This course begins with the question: why was Canada not decolonized amidst this mid-20th Century wave? Likely, this is a relatively novel place from which to begin considering the question of decolo- nization, especially as that word has been increasingly taken up within halls of powers like parliament, the boardroom, or the university. But by beginning here, we can hopefully more easily see that decolo- nization is a process of worldmaking: it demands, aims at, and enacts fundamental transformations in the basic order of social relations. While we will study this from the point of view of territories presently known as Canada, the course takes the Canadian state itself as a core problem to be interrogated. As such, our scales of analysis are not state-centric but rather telescopic: considering what an irresistible process decolonization looks like for both the Indigenous nations within Canada and for the peoples of the world negatively impacted by Canada. Intended Learning Outcomes: Attentive to the fact that our present moment is one in which ‘decolo- nization’ is increasingly discussed, this course aims i) to give students historical and contemporary con- text of the continuities and breakages of colonization; ii) to situate the work of decolonization within multiscalar contexts (from the local to the ecosphere, and from the state to the global); iii) to develop critical reflections on how empowerment and responsibility is always already differentially distributed along various intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality, (dis)ability, etc.; and iv) to link theories and practices of decolonization. Course Organization: Participants in this course will meet once per week, synchronously via Zoom, from 11:30 am until 2:25 pm (EST) on Tuesdays. As a seminar course, the emphasis is on participant discussion and dialogue; several expectations follow from this: i) all participants are expected to attend all sessions, with exceptions made in light of health requirements, bereavement, religious and/or cultural observances, etc. (please contact the instructor via email should you know in advance about an absence or as soon as you’re able); ii) all participants are expected to have completed the required readings for that week, and be prepared to discuss them with their peers; iii) the best seminars require building trust amongst the participants and this necessitates that we act respectfully and supportively towards one an- other, the instructor observes an absolute zero-tolerance policy for hateful or bigoted speech. While this course is being taught in an online format, Carleton University—our host institution—is situated on * the untreatied and therefore occupied territories of the Algonquin nation. Moreover, as digital space is created through material relations, the sourcing of cobalt, copper, tin, and the other metals that make our online existence possible, implicate us in the despoliation, dispossession, and of extractive industries the world over—often led by Canadian mining corporations. Central to the objectives of this course is that we go beyond merely acknowledg- ing these facts, to understanding and combatting them. CDNS 5501, pp. 1