Conference session

The overarching research questions are: What are the perceptions of first-generation immigrant women on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and what factors influence their motivation to engage in this process? This research is for advocates for reconciliation initiatives, Indigenous people, policymakers, settlement agencies, community organizations, researchers, scholars, immigrants, refugees, and Canadian society in general. The key insights are: The reconciliation discourse in Canada revolves around the Indigenous-government and Indigenous-settler context, with limited focus on Indigenous-immigrants’ relations, particularly on immigrant women’s views. Immigrant women’s experiences of marginalization shape their engagement with reconciliation. Using Self-Determination Theory, the study demonstrates that immigrant women are more likely to internalize and meaningfully engage in reconciliation when their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied. Settlement agencies can play an important role in reconciliation engagement for immigrant women.