Lost in Translation? Conciliation and Reconciliation in Canadian Constitutional Conflicts

Abstract

The concept of reconciliation is ubiquitous in contemporary Canadian politics, particularly but not exclusively with respect to Indigenous–state relations. This discursive framing is significant because the term has only recently emerged in the political sphere and is widely contested on several fronts, including opposition to the implication of a return to a formerly harmonious relationship that may not have existed. Thus, some suggest a focus on conciliation rather than on reconciliation. This article explores the complexities around reconciliation as a concept relating to constitutional relationships with Indigenous peoples, Québec, and ethnocultural and religious minorities in the multilingual Canadian context. Focusing particularly on the disjuncture whereby key official documents frequently invoke reconciliation in English and conciliation in French, it considers the legal and political implications of these linguistic variations and argues that there is a need for more clarity around the terms of the debate over reconciliation.