The Achilles heel of Canadian international citizenship: Indigenous diplomacies and state responses

At the core of Canada's identity as a diplomatic actor is the image of good international citizenship, but Indigenous issues highlight the gap between this self‐image and flaws in its record. Unlike the situational aspects of targeting specific governments for their human rights records, the Indigenous question is an embedded structural predicament, juxtaposing the mainstream identity of Canada as a country with a colonial past and the identity among the Aboriginal peoples of Canada as territorial occupants. The full extent of this predicament – the “Achilles heel” of Canada's international image – needs to be more fully appreciated in the workings of Canadian foreign policy. Aboriginal representatives, borrowing some of the most Canadian habits of diplomacy, have adopted blame and shame tactics designed to exploit Canadian discomfort. The seriousness with which Canadian diplomats have dealt with these challenges is striking. Using historical and contemporary case studies, this article unpacks and analyses evolving strategies to assert and constrain Indigenous rights and forces on the international stage.