From Reconciliation to Reversal: Explaining Reconciliatory Backsliding in Settler Societies

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples marked a pivotal moment, signalling an emerging global consensus on the recognition and protection of Indigenous peoples’ inherent rights. In its wake, settler states such as Australia and New Zealand adopted a reconciliatory turn, enacting policies to advance the political, economic and cultural interests of Indigenous communities. However, recent political developments – including Australia’s 2023 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Voice Referendum and New Zealand’s 2023 General Election – have triggered a reconciliatory U-turn, with Australians rejecting pro-Aboriginal constitutional reforms and New Zealand electing a coalition government that has begun to dismantle pro-Māori policies. This article introduces the concept of ‘reconciliatory backsliding’ to theorize such reversals and offers an analytical framework for examining its emergence. Using New Zealand as an illustrative case study, we invite scholars to apply and refine this framework to advance research in this newly emerging and critical area.