Canadian philanthropic foundations are increasingly engaged in reconciliation-focused activities with Indigenous peoples. However, like other good intentions, this too can channel settler colonization. In this Spark Talk, Dr. Damien Lee argues that to the extent Canadian philanthropic foundations are serious about decolonizing their relationships with Indigenous nations, they will need to find ways to defer to Indigenous leaders who prefer not to reconcile every aspect of their political systems with the Canadian state. He specifically explores the Income Tax Act’s concept of “qualified done status” as an impediment to the resurgence of inherent Indigenous governance systems. 

Dr. Damien Lee is a member of Fort William First Nation and a citizen of the Anishinaabe nation. He was adopted into his rez as a baby and raised as Anishinaabe by his family. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Biskaabiiyang (bish-kaa-bee-yung) and Indigenous Political Resurgence at Toronto Metropolitan University.