From bestselling author and Canada’s former Minister of Justice the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould comes a new book retelling the history of Canada from the perspectives and voices too often left out — the Indigenous peoples who call Canada home.

Reconciling History: A Story of Canada, co-authored by Jody and Roshan Danesh, offers a truly unique history of Canada — powerful, devastating, remarkable — as told through the voices of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

When it comes to telling the history of Canada, and in particular the history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, it has not been a common or shared enterprise. Reconciling History seeks to change that by sharing our country’s collective story through voices seldom heard. This ground-breaking book, born out of the oral history shared in Jody’s book, True Reconciliation, tells and re-tells history from their perspectives, complemented throughout with stunning photography and art.

Ahead of its publication, Jody spoke with CBC about her new book and what she hopes readers will take away from it.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

The Totem Pole: An Oral History of Canada

CBC: This book has a very interesting structure. At the beginning, you talk about the structure of the totem pole, its significance, and how it relates to the stories of families and communities. That’s the way this book is actually constructed. Tell me about using that as a way to walk us through this history.

The Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould: This book, Reconciling History, builds on my previous book, True Reconciliation — the learning and understanding of the history of this country from the time it was formed and before. In this book, Roshan and I use the metaphor of the totem pole to do two things: to reflect the reality and the worldview of my people, and the lineage, teachings, and history that we have as evidenced in the pole, and to also reflect on the legacy of colonialism and the reality of that history and how it’s been told in many different voices.

What we seek to do with this book is to tell the story of Canada not just from the voices of the few but of the many. This includes Indigenous peoples sharing varied perspectives and experiences that we’ve had.

CBC: For a long time, we’ve told the history of Canada in one way — the story of Canada, ignoring everything that happened before that. CBC itself has been a big part of committing that offence. Reconciling History is a very different story of Canada, how do you begin telling your history of this country?

JWR: I’ve had the fortune of being able to tell the history of my people through various means and within various roles that I’ve been fortunate enough to hold. I recently went back to my grandmother’s village where this totem pole was raised back in 1936, after the death of King George V. Within the pole, it’s reflective of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk people and how we are all one and, at the time, confronting the reality of what was happening to our people in terms of colonialism.

So we wanted to tell the story through the pole and do what the totem pole beckons us to do, which is to look at history from many different perspectives and experiences. It was kind of a slog writing this book and doing the historical research, which was eye-opening to me and Roshan. The book is framed around four periods of time, as reflected in the four crests of the pole. It’s the arrival of the Europeans, the onset of colonial laws and policies and its impact on Indigenous peoples, to the present day reflected at the top of the pole with the thunderbird, which represents the resurgence and the reality of having more conversations about what reconciliation means.

I like to think this is a hopeful book, presenting a shared story of Canada wherein people have learned and sought to understand that there are different perspectives about how we came to be where we’re at, at this moment in time.

Is True Reconciliation Possible?

CBC: The colonial perspective is so different, the whole interpretation of history and the way people think, the way we think about ourselves, community, the land, etc. are so different from the Indigenous perspective. When we talk about reconciliation, how can we bring the two together? Is real reconciliation a possibility?

JWR: I think real reconciliation is possible, I’m a glass-half-full person. What I have experienced, in traveling extensively around the country, is Canadians from all walks of life wanting to know more and wanting to know what they can do to advance reconciliation. This is progress. We certainly still have a long way to go but at the basis of it, is understanding that within this country we have very different worldviews and approaches to addressing issues. But we can learn from those differing worldviews.

The reality and legacy of colonialism is that we have these invisible silos or barriers between us as individuals because we fail to understand each other’s experiences historically and today. I’m hoping this book draws out those different worldviews, allowing and enabling people to look, as we do with totem poles, from very different perspectives. It’s about understanding how those different perspectives brought us to this moment in time where we’re having that vigorous conversation about reconciliation and what it means; the fear it creates in some people and the hope it creates in so many others.

CBC: Indigenous people have a better way of understanding colonial ways than colonists have in understanding Indigenous ways because Indigenous people have had colonialism imposed on them. Do colonists have the ability to empathize, to understand, to go that distance towards reconciliation?

JWR: The short answer is, I think so. I’m hopeful for that. Colonialism has been with us since this country was formed and before. This conversation about true reconciliation and what it means for our country has been with us for 10-15 years. What I believe happens when people are confronted with reconciliation and issues of Indigenous peoples are foregrounded for society at large, it creates some confusion, it creates some concern, and I think importantly it creates, within so many people I’ve talked to, the desire to learn and understand more and break down those walls and silos.

More than ever before, people are engaged in this conversation and that to me is progress. And it’s through these discussions with individuals in their own lives that are going to breakdown the silos and allow us to share a shared story of Canada.

CBC: Do you worry about backlash to the conversations taking place?

JWR: It’s important that people are engaged in discussion however narrow-minded or based in denialism those conversations might be. One can argue that it is progress in terms of people having a discussion. But the reality is, and what we try to accomplish in the book, is telling the story of the history of Canada from the perspective of many different people, including Indigenous people.

We have to confront the fear that exists in many people — I’ve heard it since I was a treaty commissioner, “I’m going to lose my home.” That is simply not the case. What we’re trying to do as Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples is to come together to reconcile, to actually create the space for Indigenous peoples of this country to rebuild their nations, to be self-governing, to enjoy the fundamental human rights, which every other Canadian enjoys. Why isn’t this the case for Indigenous peoples? So I think for the people that fear or are against Indigenous reconciliation, understanding that the basic human rights you enjoy are the human rights right now that Indigenous peoples do not enjoy to the same extent, and we need to correct that.

Hire Jody Wilson-Raybould to Speak at Your Event

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, PC, OBC, KC, was raised to be a leader. The daughter of a hereditary chief and Indigenous leader, she always knew that she would seek leadership roles and responsibilities.

As a lawyer, an advocate, and a leader among Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, Jody’s built a strong reputation as a bridge builder and champion of good governance and accountability. She shares her unique perspective as both a community and political leader on topics such as Indigenous rights and reconciliation, democracy and governance, leadership, and justice.

Contact us to learn more about Jody and what she can bring to your next event as an in-demand public speaker.