Anti-Indigenous Racism - Projection, Racial Gaslighting, and Reverse Racism Rhetoric
January 16, 2025•707 words
"What others say and do is a projection of their own reality." ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz
"The best political, social, and spiritual work we can do is to withdraw the projection of our shadow onto others." ~ Carl Jung
"Everything we say about other people is really about ourselves." ~ Merrit Malloy
"How easy it is, how dangerously easy it is to hate a man for one's own inadequacies." ~ Grace Metalious
"It's interesting to see people's projections because one lives very much in the world of projections." ~ Tenzin Palmo
"The world is a projection of our thoughts - the thoughts we believe." ~ Byron Katie
Power and human nature are inextricably linked in their complexity within organizational culture.
Where a white person has spread rumours about their Indigenous colleague, accusations of racism are often cloaked in projection, racial gaslighting, and reverse racism rhetoric. This is deeply rooted in feelings of insecurity and social conditioning that can be corrosive to the fabric of an organization. Understanding the underlying motivations for such actions is important in deconstructing the damage they cause.
Projection is an insidious but potent armament in the arsenal of individuals whose motive is the diffusion of guilt or responsibility.
Herein, a white accusing an Indigenous of racism might actually mask her prejudiced belief. For the rest, it diverts attention from her imperfections onto the accused. This creates an environment of mistrust and miscommunication within an organization, obscuring the real issues of bias and discrimination by the very people who cause them.
Such rumours are usually connected with power dynamics.
Most of the time, the accused is out to establish dominance and to reinforce the already established hierarchies. The marginalization of the Indigenous person keeps them in their place, maintaining the position of the one doing the marginalizing. This does not only serve to isolate the individual Indigenous person targeted but also sends a chilling message to others within the organization, that one who questions the status quo might do so at personal and professional cost. Such racist rhetoric dynamics erode the very foundation of inclusivity and equity that is so necessary for a healthy organizational culture.
Internalized supremacy amplifies these dynamics.
In the thinking of a white person who is attached to a racial group's supremacy, their actions are often driven by a need to undermine the credibility of those challenging this belief. This translates into an organizational undercurrent of hostility and exclusion where the achievements of Indigenous individuals are diminished or dismissed outright. This results in a toxic culture that stifles innovation and diversity, foments resentment, and eventually disengages employees.
These are compounded by ignorance or misunderstanding of systemic racism.
The accuser may actually feel that her accusations are substantiated, not understanding the larger context of racial inequity. This ignorance leads to ill-informed actions that cause harm and create a culture where the lie is lived as truth. The organizational consequences are huge: morale is low, collaboration is affected, and the organization is harmed.
The reasons for this include jealousy and the fear of change.
An award to one Indigenous person could provoke a response of envy or threat among some who don't want to see any shift in their status, which would be gained from discrediting their colleague's achievement in an attempt to retain their previous status. Resistance to change results in stagnation of culture and an inability to grow with Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation or adapt to different influences.
Projection, racial gaslighting, and reverse racism rhetoric are part of a greater social issue that enmeshed in an organizational setting.
This is not a matter of personal failings but one symptom of deeper struggles for power and fear. If an organization wants to thrive, it needs to face these issues, create a culture of accountability, transparency, open communication for greater understanding, and be truly inclusive. Then, and only then does it get to unravel damaging threads of rumour, and historical bias, and racism into a stronger, and more cohesive tight sweetgrass weave for all its members.
Resources
https://www.nccih.ca/28/SocialDeterminantsof_Health.nccih?id=337
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1611863352025/1611863375715
https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/edid/antiracism/understandingantiracism/antiindigenousracism.html
https://ucalgary.ca/indigenous/learning/anti-indigenous-racism/anti-indigenous-racism-workshop
Addressing anti-Indigenous racism in schools
https://teachers.ab.ca/news/addressing-anti-indigenous-racism-schools
Fighting systemic anti-Indigenous racism through education
https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/fighting-systemic-anti-indigenous-racism-through-education
