No more playing Indian: Addressing the colonial legacy of Indigenous-themed summer camps in Canada

Through a critical examination of the colonial underpinnings and assumptions of the camping movement in general and Camp Chief Hector specifically, Dr. Brown and Dr. Bensler will reflect on the ways camp shaped their white settler identity and relationship to Indigenous peoples and Land. They will share their stories of how the colonial curriculum at camp taught them a version of history that upholds white-settler colonial dominance and maintains Indigenous peoples’ invisibility. They will also suggest ways that camps can take accountability for their past and move forward more ethically and responsibly, based on their experience in a reconciliation project in process, guided by Îyârhe Nakoda Elders.