ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on comparison of Canada's international commitments with its behavior, and to find an explanation for its over-compliance. It explores Canada's Indigenous reconciliation discourse and demonstrate how it is ultimately constrained by the liberal framework within which it operates, namely that Canada's Doctrine of Discovery reconciliation results from the emerging Canadian national identity narrative that forecloses the possibility of an alternative model of reconciliation advanced by Indigenous leaders in Canada. The Canadian version of Indigenous reconciliation differs notably from New Zealand's experience, yet they share certain commonalities. Prime Minister Harper created a new sub-ministerial cabinet position dedicated to the search for Canadian identity, naming Jason Kenney as Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity in 2007. Multiculturalism, both as a policy and a discourse, has also helped shape reconciliation in two important and problematic ways.
