“Invading Indigenous Territory is Not Reconciliation”: Problematizing War Frames in News Coverage of Wet’suwet’en Solidarity Actions

Abstract

Context: Leading up to the March 2020 global COVID-19 lockdown, an important movement was building power across so-called Canada. What began as a continuation of the decades-long, localized struggle for self-determination in Wet’suwet’en territory quickly became a focal point for nationwide Indigenous resistance, refusal, and solidarity. Analysis: Drawing from literature on media framing, this article examines the use of war frames in early 2020 news depictions of mobilizations in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en. The analysis suggests that war frames are operationalized to simultaneously naturalize police violence while also validating the sovereignty of Indigenous nations. Conclusion and implications: This work contributes not only to the literature on the framing of protests by the mainstream media but also to the ongoing project of unsettling conditions of settler colonial power in Canadian society.