New Books Network Éléna Choquette, "Land and the Liberal Project: Canada’s Violent Expansion" (UBC Press, 2024)
Dec 6, 2025
Éléna Choquette, an associate professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, delves into Canada's tumultuous expansion in the 19th century. She discusses how colonial liberalism rationalized Indigenous dispossession and the use of force against resistance. Choquette explores the pivotal years of 1857 to 1885, highlighting the role of constitutional frameworks and scientific expeditions in justifying land appropriation. She also critiques the implications of residential schools as 'improvement' and advocates for recognizing Indigenous claims to sovereignty. Her insights challenge the narrative of gentle nation-building.
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Rapid Expansion Was Planned
- Canada rapidly expanded after Confederation by design, not accident.
- Éléna Choquette shows expansion was constitutionalized as a national project tied to settler ambitions.
A Compressed Window Of Annexation
- Canada's westward annexation happened in a compressed 30-year window (1857–1885).
- That speed made its methods and rhetoric distinct from U.S. and Australian settler expansion.
Liberal Language Masked Appropriation
- Colonial liberalism framed land appropriation as 'improvement' and progress.
- Officials used liberty, private property and self-government to legitimate dispossession.
