Truth and reconciliation for whom? Transitional justice for Indigenous peoples in American psychology.

Abstract

In October 2021, the American Psychological Association apologized to people of color in the United States for its role in systemic racism. Spurred by a national racial reckoning, Indigenous Peoples have been regularly incorporated into initiatives redressing America's legacy of racism. Although Indigenous Peoples have been racialized during the formation of the United States, this process is intertwined with colonization-the systematic dispossession and exploitation of Indigenous communities by Europeans. We first examine how the American Psychological Association (APA) has been complicit in colonialism by failing to oppose government policies that disenfranchise Indigenous communities, which it recently recognized in a separate apology to First Peoples in the United States in February 2023 (American Psychological Association, APA Indigenous Apology Work Group [APA IAWG], 2023). Second, we explore methods for APA to reconcile historical and contemporary wrongs inflicted on Indigenous Peoples through transitional justice, an approach to addressing human rights violations that seeks justice and opportunities for healing (United Nations, 2008). In particular, we consider the implications that Truth and Reconciliation Commissions have for Indigenous Peoples. Third, we provide recommendations for APA to repair relations with Indigenous Peoples in education, research, and practice. We specifically interrogate what possibilities for truth, reconciliation, and healing exist vis-à-vis transitional justice in psychology. We conclude with the potential that APA has to advance meaningful structural reforms while cautioning against superficial efforts towards reconciliation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).