“Invasive” Species Discourse in Ontario Elementary and Secondary Curricula: A Critical and Decolonial Analysis

Abstract

“Invasive” species are generally viewed with contempt. Yet many Indigenous peoples have more nuanced approaches to newcomer species informed by kinship relations, and some ecologists suggest that ecosystems have always been dynamic and these species occasionally play beneficial roles in their new homes. A critical and decolonial discourse analysis of nine Ontario elementary and secondary curriculum documents revealed that when “invasive” species were mentioned, anthropocentric and settler-colonial logics dominated and Indigenous perspectives were ignored. Decolonizing the Ontario curriculum could offer more complex, humane, and reparative perspectives on newcomer species, especially important as Canadians grapple with climate change and Truth and Reconciliation.