What is the game all about?

This is a game considers reconciliation and what that may look like. The Real Canadian Un-opoly’s (RCU) function is to highlight the discrepancy between colonization and decolonization.  The focus is to create relationships, and this is how one can “win”.  There will be a story told by each person for themselves as they move around the board, and that is through the emotions they feel as white privilege is highlighted and a move towards “Radical Imagination”. 

“Radical imagination” can be briefly defined as Settlers literally mindfully removing themselves from the colonial context of privilege of their current capitalist reality and accepting the Indigenous Nations prior existence and prior claim of culture, language and community in North America and Canada (Alfred, 2010, p. 5). The RCU makes room for this potential. 

Why is there a Medicine Wheel on the board?

The Medicine Wheel is not common to all the Nations across Turtle Island but the principles of North East South and West are, as is Four Legged, Flying creatures, Swimming creatures, and Tree/Root kingdom, and white, yellow, black and red peoples. Each Nation has their own interpretation of a symbol such as a Medicine Wheel but may call it something different. In the rules there is a clear explanation that each Nation has their own culture and their own meanings for symbols and protocols.

Why are the Seven Sacred Teachings in the game?

The goal in the Real Canadian Un-oploy is to build relationships built on the principles of the Seven Sacred Teachings. These teachings are not defined as a cornerstone in each of the cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada or anywhere else, but they do provide a strong foundational support for interaction in both Settler and Indigenous relations and are sometimes forgotten in the Settler world.

What are the symbols on the board?

The white lines indicate both the Two Row Wampum Belt which was the original agreement between the Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples. It could also be considered the railroad. The tobacco leaves are important for Indigenous People’s protocols. The silhouette of the land is from Atlantic to Pacific. Each city and each Nation has their own image. Duty to Consult is represented by the Medicine Wheel. 

How is this game different from Monopoly? 

In traditional Monopoly, the function of the game is to become wealthy by gaining property and building at the expense of other players.  Hasbro’s registration in the United States Patent & Trademark Office identifies Monopoly as a “real estate trading game” (TDSR 2019). There is no better explanation of colonization that I can think of and having the Monopoly reference makes it easy to disconnect principles of interaction.  

The game is not created for longevity (ie. playing over and over again) but is created for discussion and education.  LEGO makes an appearance and building blocks are used as metaphors for building relationships. LEGO also subtly provides a mental stimulus and space to approach these concepts as a child, which, in my opinion and experience, is necessary to be open to concepts of decolonization and reconciliation.

What are the rules of the Real Canadian Un-opoly, in a nutshell?

The rules of RCU contrast and reverse the original Monopoly’s concept of discipline, formulas of domination (Smith, 2012, p. 71).  Those rules include Foucault’s (McHoul & Grace, 1993) concept of power through “spatial distributions”, “controlling activities”, “organizing stages of education” and “coordinating parts of the system” which relate to the reality of Reserves, the Indian Act and residential schools the impact of which can still be seen today (p. 69, 70).  There is still the option of land ownership.  Reserves and cities are present along with Statistics Canada (2016) information on location cards to provide context of existence in those places, such as white/non-white population and average monthly income. The rules of land ownership in RCU have been re-written only for the Indigenous, and those rules are taken directly from the 1985 Indian Act (Legislative Services Branch, 2019b). Additional controlling activities may be seen in the actions of the Maybe and the Community Life cards (MacDonald, 2017).  

Why is Duty to Consult with each Nation and City?

Duty to Consult (and to listen to the responses) are important factors of contemporary realities.

What do you mean white privilege?

Settlers who play this game as an Indigenous person may come to understand the restrictions and may agree with them, or not.  The politics of recognition (Coulthard, 2014) will come to the foreground, white privilege will be heightened, there will be frustration. Especially with a player that is focused on the traditional capitalist rules of monopoly (buying everything, spending) that results in bankruptcy early on.  That is expected and welcomed. That player gets another chance to get in the game with a one-time gift of funds, and hopefully a new attitude and direction.

Why did I create it?

I created the game as part of the project for my Master of Arts Degree. Throughout the time that I spent working in the Okanagan, learning the local Indigenous language, considering and understanding concepts of Indigenous Studies, I felt like I was walking two worlds. I was experiencing a reality that no one outside of the Indigenous community could understand. These studies changed my worldview in a profound way and I took a lot of time in determining how I could share those changes with others. One cannot be told of these changes, they must be experienced. Settlers understand board games and the concepts and restrictions are real, not fabricated, which I hope will cause self-reflexive questions and eventual change.

How will it be sold?

It can’t be sold. I would love to see this game supported in schools. There would be no profits.

I have a question not answered here.