Simonne Horwitz to Speak at the Centre for Indian Studies in Africa

The Centre for Indian Studies in Africa invites you to

“Apartheid in a Parka”? Roots and longevity of the Canada-South Africa comparison in transnational perspectives 

Dr Simonne Horwitz Visiting Researcher: CISA, Associate Professor, History University of Saskatchewan 

Comparisons between Aboriginal policy in Canada and apartheid in South Africa appear frequently in public discourse, often with claims as to actual links between the two systems. This paper interrogates these supposed links within a transnational framework. I draw on recent studies of colonial policy viewed as part of a broader spectrum of colonial thought created in multiple formats though various networks and circuits of knowledge to show the nuances of a comparative argument. Specifically focusing on an analysis of land policy and the pass system this paper looks at similarities across the empire but argues that the claims of direct links in the Canadian-South African public discourse are highly improbable. The paper goes on to analyze the intellectual history of these comparisons, asking why many different actors, in the face of a lack of historical evidence, have made them. The paper argues that the claims have served the needs of many different groups in different ways and thus maintained a hold despite their lack of historical foundation. However, good policy, especially that linked to decolonisation, must be founded on clear analysis of history, and this paper argues that it is important to de-link South Africa and Canada, as an example of understanding different forms of colonial oppression in each context on its own terms.