Description
Book SynopsisThe Theatre of Regret reveals the role that Indigenous and allied literatures play in challenging state-centred discourses of reconciliation in Canada.
Trade ReviewTheatre of Regret is a significant contribution to the studies of transitional justice and reconciliation literature. -- Jonathan Nash, Department of English, University of Victoria * University of Toronto Quarterly *
The Theatre of Regret offers a thought-provoking critique of "reconciliation" as it has been captured by settler colonialism.
-- Melanie Braith, University of Winnipeg. * Native American and Indigenous Studies. Volume 10. Issue 1. Spring 2023. *
The Theatre of Regret is a timely book that implores Canadian settlers to look at the uncomfortable truth of the narratives we tell ourselves: the truth of residential schools and the truth of ongoing settler colonialism and violence.
-- Christine Anonuevo, University of Northern British Columbia * BC Studies *
…Gaertner argues that it is imperative reconciliation centres Indigenous perspective and creates space for Indigenous voices. The Theatre of Regret does just this with depth and flair…
-- Alice Higgs, doctoral graduate, University of Sheffield * Journal of Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand Studies *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Bearing Witness to the TRC
1 The Theatre of Regret: The Politics of Reconciliation after the Second World War
2 Listen to the Bones: Colonial Static and the Call for Reconciliation
3 To Acknowledge, but Not to Accept: Critical Reflections on Settler State Apologies
4 Redress as a Gift: Historical Reparations and the Logic of the Gift
5 An Exercise in Forgiveness: Confronting the Risk of Forgiveness and Empathy
Conclusion: “Shallow Reconciliation” and the Indigenous Future Imaginary
Notes, Selected Bibliography, Index
