Glen Sean Coulthard (born 1974) is a Canadian scholar of
Indigenous studies
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who serves as an associate professor in the
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
department at the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...
. A member of the
Yellowknives Dene First Nation
The Yellowknives Dene First Nation is a band government in the Northwest Territories. It represents the Yellowknives people, namesake of the territorial capital Yellowknife. Its membership primarily resides in two communities: Ndilǫ, bordering t ...
, he is also a co-founder, educator, and on the board of directors at
Dechinta: Centre for Research and Learning.
He is best known for his 2014 book, ''Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition'', which has been released in both English and French.
Education
Coulthard received his
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
in the Indigenous governance program, as well as his
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
in
philosophy in the Department of Political Science, at the
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...
.
His masters thesis, entitled, ''Facing the Challenge of Freedom: Dene Nationalism and the Politics of Cultural Recognition'', was published at the University of Victoria in 2003.
His doctorate dissertation, supervised by philosopher
James Tully, was titled, ''Subjects of Empire? Indigenous Peoples and the "Politics of Recognition" in Canada'', published in 2009 at the University of Victoria.
A version of this writing, entitled, "Subjects of Empire: Indigenous Peoples and the 'Politics of Recognition' in Canada", won best article of the year after being published in ''
Contemporary Political Theory'' in 2007.
Work
![Dory Nason and Glen Coulthard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Dory_Nason_and_Glen_Coulthard.jpg)
After receiving his PhD at the University of Victoria in 2009, Coulthard co-founded Dechinta, with programming beginning in 2010.
While he taught at Dechinta periodically, after 2015, Coulthard began spending half his teaching time there following a partnership between Dechinta and UBC.
Coulthard has visited various universities, conferences, and organizations, being featured on panels or giving lectures on topics of Indigenous politics and colonialism (see ''Recorded lectures/talks'').
In 2011, Coulthard criticized police and
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
mayor
Gregor Robertson for listing
anarchists
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessari ...
among the instigators of the
2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot
The 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot was a public disturbance in the downtown core of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on the evening of June 15, 2011. The riot broke out almost immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins' win over ...
, stating that, "More than the majority of anarchists would ascribe to
non-violent
Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...
construction of alternatives to
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
, government, police, or more repressive regimes,".
In 2014, Coulthard released his first book, ''Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition'', garnering various academic awards (see ''
Books'') and critical success.
The
Canadian Journal of Law and Society said that Coulthard's book "immediately establishes itself as a cornerstone in the areas of Indigenous governance, political theory, and activism." The title itself is a play on the title of ''
Black Skin, White Masks
''Black Skin, White Masks'' (french: Peau noire, masques blancs) is a 1952 book by philosopher Frantz Fanon. The book is written in the style of autoethnography, in which Fanon shares his own experiences while presenting a historical critique of ...
'' by
Frantz Fanon
Frantz Omar Fanon (, ; ; 20 July 1925 – 6 December 1961), also known as Ibrahim Frantz Fanon, was a French West Indian psychiatrist, and political philosopher from the French colony of Martinique (today a French department). His works have b ...
, a nod to the heavy influence of Fanon's anti-colonial work that Coulthard integrated into his writing. As activist and journalist
Harsha Walia
Harsha Walia is a Canadian activist and writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has been involved with No one is illegal, the February 14 Women's Memorial March Committee, the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, and several Downtown Eas ...
states, regarding ''Red Skin, White Masks'',
Coulthard's premise is a forceful one: there is no freedom to be found in or from the settler-colonial state. Drawing primarily on Frantz Fanon, Coulthard interrogates how concessions by the state maintain both the objective and subjective realms of colonial power. He challenges the liberal pluralism of state-based efforts at recognition that serve to mediate and accommodate Indigenous claims through the Canadian state itself.
''Red Skin, White Masks'' featured the Coulthard's coining of the term ''grounded normativity'', which scholar
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Mississauga Nishnaabeg writer, musician, and academic from Canada.
She is the author of several books centering on Indigenous thought and practices in Canada and is known for her work with the 2012 Idle No Mor ...
describes as "the ethical frameworks generated by place-based practices and associated knowledges." The book features criticisms of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC; french: Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada []) was a truth and reconciliation commission active in Canada from 2008 to 2015, organized by the parties of the Indian Reside ...
, which Coulthard says ignores the ongoing nature of colonialism.
In November 2019, along with
Angela Davis
Angela Yvonne Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, philosopher, academic, scholar, and author. She is a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A feminist and a Marxist, Davis was a longtime member of ...
, the Palestinian Youth Movement,
Winona LaDuke
Winona LaDuke (born August 18, 1959) is an American economist, environmentalist, writer and industrial hemp grower, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development.
In 1996 and 2000, she ran for Vice ...
, and many other people and organizations, Coulthard co-signed an open letter calling on the United Nations to condemn the
coup in
Bolivia.
In December 2019, Coulthard criticized a
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
run drug prevention program for First Nations youth from
Whatì
Whatì (; from the Dogrib language meaning "Marten Lakes"), officially the ''Tłı̨chǫ Community Government of Whatì'' is a First Nations community in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Whatì is located by Lac La ...
, with accusations of
poverty tourism.
Coulthard was quoted in various publications during the early 2020
blockades of Canadian rail lines in protest of Canadian invasion of
Wetʼsuwetʼen
The Wetʼsuwetʼen ( ) are a First Nation who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The endonym Wetʼsuwetʼen means "People of the Wa Dzun ...
land. As quoted in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', in response to backlash from
Prime Minister of Canada
The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority the elected House of Commons; as su ...
,
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
,
He has placed the onus, the burden of proof, on Indigenous peoples to demonstrate their commitment to reconciliation on his terms – or on the terms of a weaponized majority – by pitting so-called 'regular Canadians and workers' against Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who have been rendered minorities on their homeland due to colonization and a history of genocide.
In March 2020, Coulthard wrote an open letter to
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
The minister of public safety (french: ministre de la sécurité publique) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for overseeing Public Safety Canada, the internal security department of the Government of Canada. The p ...
,
Bill Blair, in support of immigrant detainees on hunger strike in attempt to be released from Laval Immigration Monitoring Centre in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, due to the
COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Listed works
Books
* ''Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition.'' (
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
:
University of Minnesota Press
The University of Minnesota Press is a university press that is part of the University of Minnesota. It had annual revenues of just over $8 million in fiscal year 2018.
Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is best known for its boo ...
, 2014).
** Outstanding Book, 2016
Caribbean Philosophical Association's Frantz Fanon
Frantz Omar Fanon (, ; ; 20 July 1925 – 6 December 1961), also known as Ibrahim Frantz Fanon, was a French West Indian psychiatrist, and political philosopher from the French colony of Martinique (today a French department). His works have b ...
Award.
** 2014/15
Canadian Political Science Association's C.B. Macpherson Award for Best Book in
Political Theory published in English or French.
** Rik Davidson Studies in
Political Economy
Political economy is the study of how economic systems (e.g. markets and national economies) and political systems (e.g. law, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied phenomena within the discipline are systems such as labour ...
2016 Book Prize.
** transl. Michael Schiffmann ''Rote Haut, weiße Masken. Gegen die koloniale Politik der Anerkennung.'' Unrast, Münster 2020
Essays in books
* “Beyond Recognition: Indigenous Self-Determination as Prefigurative Practice.” Ed.
Leanne Simpson. ''Lighting the Eighth Fire: The Liberation, Resurgence, and Protection of Indigenous Nations''. (
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
:
Arbeiter Ring Press, 2008).
*“Resisting Culture:
Seyla Benhabib's Deliberative Approach to the Politics of Recognition in Colonial Contexts.” Eds. David Kahane, Dominique Leydet, Daniel Weinstock, and
Melissa Williams. ''Realizing Deliberative Democracy''. (
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
:
University of British Columbia Press
The University of British Columbia Press (UBC Press) is a university press that is part of the University of British Columbia. It was established in 1971. The press is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and has editorial offices in Kelo ...
, 2009).
*“Indigenous Peoples and the Politics of Recognition.” Ed.
Frances Negrón-Muntaner
Frances Negrón-Muntaner (born 1966) is a Puerto Rican filmmaker, writer, and scholar. Her work is focused on a comparative exploration of coloniality, primarily in Puerto Rico and the United States, with special attention given to the interse ...
. ''Sovereign Acts''. (
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
:
South End Press, 2009).
*“From 'Wards of the State' to Subjects of Recognition?” in
Andrea Smith and Audra Simpson (eds.), ''Theorizing Native Studies'' (
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
:
Duke University Press
Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 D ...
, 2014).
* “#IdleNoMore in a Historical Context.” Ed. The Kino-nda-niimi Collective. The Winter We Danced. (
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
: ARP Books, 2014).
Publications in journals
* “Subjects of Empire: Indigenous Peoples and the 'Politics of Recognition' in Canada.” (Feature Article: Theory and Practice) ''
Contemporary Political Theory'' 6:4 (2007).
** 2007
Contemporary Political Theory Prize for Best Article of the Year.
* “Review: Dale Turner, ''This is Not a Peace Pipe: Towards a Critical Indigenous Philosophy.''”
University of Toronto Quarterly (2008).
As editor
* ''Indigenous Peoples and the Law.'' Book Series. Eds. Claire Charters, Glen Coulthard, Mark Harris, Denise Ferreira da Silva (New York:
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...
).
* ''Recognition versus Self-Determination: Dilemmas of Emancipatory Politics.'' Eds. Andrée Boisselle, Glen Coulthard, Avigail Eisenberg, and Jeremy Webber. (
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
:
University of British Columbia Press
The University of British Columbia Press (UBC Press) is a university press that is part of the University of British Columbia. It was established in 1971. The press is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and has editorial offices in Kelo ...
, 2014).
*''New Socialist: Special Issue on Indigenous Resurgence.'' Issue no. 5. Eds. Gerald Taiaiake Alfred, Glen Coulthard, and Deborah Simmons.
Recorded lectures/talks
*
Recognition, Reconciliation and Resentment in Indigenous Politics, with Dr. Glen Coulthard' at
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located ...
. (November 9, 2011).
*
Recognition, Reconciliation and Resentment in Indigenous Politics, with Dr. Glen Coulthard' at
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located ...
. (November 16, 2011).
*
Rage Against Empire: Resentment, Reconciliation and Indigenous Decolonization in Canada' at the Vancouver Institute for Social Research at the Or Gallery. (February 25, 2013).
*
First Nations & Direct Action' at Singing a New Song Conference in Canada. (2013).
*
“Red Skin, White Masks.” Unsettling Conversations, Unmaking Racisms & Colonialism' at
R.A.C.E. Network's
14th Annual Critical Race and Anticolonial Studies Conference at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
. (October 2014).
*
Glen Coulthard and Anwar Shaikh: The Violence of Capitalism: Race, Colonialism, & Capital' at Historical Materialism Toronto. (2016).
*
Global Movement Assemblages Symposium - Glen Coulthard' at the Social Justice Research Institute at
Brock University
Brock University is a public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The university bears t ...
. (October 2016).
*
Global Movement Assemblages Symposium - Leanne Simpson, Rinaldo Walcott and Glen Coulthard' at the Social Justice Research Institute at
Brock University
Brock University is a public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The university bears t ...
. (October 2016).
*
Studies in Political Economy Book Prize: Glen Coulthard, Red Skin, White Masks' in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. (May 30, 2017)
*
Fanonian Antinomies' at
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located ...
. (September 25, 2017).
*
Global Red Power: Fourth World Resurgent' in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
. (2018).
Other
* "Facing the challenge of freedom :
Dene
The Dene people () are an indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages. ''Dene'' is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term "Dene" ha ...
nationalism and the politics of cultural recognition." Thesis. (
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...
, 2003).
*"Subjects of Empire? : indigenous peoples and the "Politics of recognition" in Canada." Dissertation. (
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...
, 2009)
*Glen Coulthard, Mandee McDonald, Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox, and Matthew Wildcat. "Learning from the land: Indigenous land based pedagogy and decolonization".
*"Place against Empire : the Dene Nation, Land Claims, and the Politics of Recognition in the North." Article. (
University of British Columbia Press
The University of British Columbia Press (UBC Press) is a university press that is part of the University of British Columbia. It was established in 1971. The press is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and has editorial offices in Kelo ...
, 2014).
*''On This Patch of Grass: City Parks on Occupied Land''. Sadie Couture, Daisy Couture, Selena Couture,
Matt Hern
Matt Hern is a community organizer, independent scholar, writer and activist based in East Vancouver, British Columbia who is known for his work in radical urbanism, community development, ecology and alternative forms of education.
He has found ...
, and Erick Villagomez. Preface: Denise Ferreira da Silva. Outro: Glen Coulthard. (
Halifax &
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
:
Fernwood Publishing, 2018).
*''The Fourth World: An Indian Reality''.
George Manuel
George Manuel, OC (February 21, 1921 – November 15, 1989, Secwépemc) was an Aboriginal leader in Canada. Born and raised in British Columbia, he became politically active there and in Alberta. In 1970 he was elected and served until 1976 as c ...
and
Michael Posluns. Forward:
Vine Deloria Jr. Introduction: Glen Coulthard. Afterword: Doreen Manuel. (
University Of Minnesota Press
The University of Minnesota Press is a university press that is part of the University of Minnesota. It had annual revenues of just over $8 million in fiscal year 2018.
Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is best known for its boo ...
, 2019).
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulthard, Glen
1974 births
Living people
21st-century First Nations people
Dene people
First Nations academics
Academic staff of the University of British Columbia
University of Victoria alumni