Decolonizing Language: The Words We Choose, and Why They Count
- Kim Trottier
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Language is never neutral. Every word we choose carries history, who named it, who was excluded by it, whose reality it was created to reflect. Most of us move through our days using language shaped by centuries of colonial thought without pausing to examine where those words came from or who they erase.
This post is not about shame. It is not a list of banned words or a test you can fail. Decolonizing language is about growing, becoming more aware of the power embedded in everyday communication and making intentional choices about the words you use, especially in relation to Indigenous peoples and communities.
Whether you work in HR, healthcare, education, leadership, or you're running your own business, the language you use in job postings, team meetings, policies, and everyday conversation either reinforces colonial norms or begins to dismantle them. That choice is yours to make, and it starts with understanding what decolonizing language really means.
What Decolonizing Language Means
📌 Definition: Decolonizing Language Decolonizing language means examining and shifting the words, phrases, and framing we use that erase, diminish, or misrepresent Indigenous peoples and their experiences. It recognizes that language reflects and reinforces power structures, and that changing language is one accessible, meaningful step toward dismantling those structures. |
Language shapes perception. When the dominant vocabulary around Indigenous peoples has been constructed by colonial institutions, governments, churches, schools, it inevitably centres colonial perspectives and marginalizes Indigenous ones. Terms like "discovered," "settlement," and "wilderness" are not neutral descriptions. They are framings that position European arrival as the beginning of meaningful history and erase the complex, sovereign societies that existed, and continue to exist, on this land.
Decolonizing language doesn't mean perfection. It means paying attention, being willing to be corrected, and making a genuine commitment to ongoing learning. It is one part of a larger practice of cultural humility, for more on that, read our post on Cultural Safety vs. Cultural Humility.
If this is new territory for you, Teachings Tuesday, our weekly newsletter from founder Kim Trottier, is a good place to keep learning. |
How Colonialism Shaped Everyday Language
The connection between language and colonial power is not abstract. It was deliberate and systematic. Residential schools in Canada explicitly banned Indigenous languages, children were punished, sometimes violently, for speaking their mother tongues. The goal was not just to teach English or French. It was to sever the relationship between Indigenous children and their cultures, families, and identities.
Language was also used to construct a colonial narrative of legitimacy. Terms like "terra nullius" (empty land) provided legal and rhetorical justification for dispossession. Words like "savage," "primitive," and "uncivilized" were used to dehumanize Indigenous peoples and justify colonial violence. These words have largely disappeared from polite usage, but their descendants, in subtler forms, persist.
Today, colonial language shows up in how we describe history ("when settlers arrived" rather than "when colonizers invaded"), how we frame geography ("the wilderness" rather than "unceded Anishinaabe territory"), and how we borrow cultural concepts without acknowledgement or respect. Recognizing these patterns is the first step to changing them.
Common Words and Phrases to Reconsider
The following table is a starting point, not a definitive or exhaustive list, and not a framework for policing language. It is an educational resource designed to help you understand why certain terms are harmful and what thoughtful alternatives exist. Context always plays a role in how a word lands.
Term or Phrase | Why It's Problematic | Alternative |
"Indian" | A colonial misnomer rooted in geographic error. It erases the distinct identities of hundreds of sovereign nations. | "Indigenous," "First Nations," "Métis," "Inuit," or the specific nation name (e.g., Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee) |
"Spirit Animal" | Misappropriates a sacred spiritual concept from specific Indigenous traditions and reduces it to casual slang. | "Role model," "inspiration," "the animal I most identify with," depending on context |
"Tribe" (in corporate/casual use) | When used outside of Indigenous contexts (e.g., "find your tribe"), it trivializes the political and cultural significance of Indigenous nationhood. | "Team," "community," "crew," "group," depending on context |
"Discovered" (re: colonization) | Erases the presence, sovereignty, and complex societies of Indigenous peoples who had lived on the land for thousands of years. | "Invaded," "colonized," "arrived in," or reframe entirely around Indigenous presence rather than European arrival |
"Pow Wow" (used casually) | A pow wow is a sacred gathering with deep cultural and ceremonial significance. Using it to mean "a quick meeting" is trivializing and disrespectful. | "Meeting," "check-in," "huddle," and reserve "pow wow" for its actual cultural context |
A note on this list: language evolves, communities differ, and what is appropriate in one context may not be in another. When in doubt, follow the lead of the Indigenous peoples and communities you are in relationship with. These alternatives are starting points, not rules.
Decolonizing Language in the Workplace
The workplace is one of the most impactful places to apply decolonizing language, because the language used in institutional documents, policies, and communications reaches everyone, shapes culture, and signals whose presence is valued. This holds just as true for a small business or independent practice as it does for a large institution.
Job Postings and HR Policies
Review your job postings for language that unconsciously centres a colonial or Eurocentric worldview. "Strong command of English" as a blanket requirement, for example, may unnecessarily exclude qualified candidates for roles where varied communication styles are an asset. Descriptions that emphasize "cultural fit," without defining what that means, often default to assimilation rather than inclusion.
Meeting Facilitation
Meeting language carries cultural assumptions. Phrases like "let's pow wow" or "circle the wagons" are borrowed from Indigenous and historical contexts in ways that trivialize their origins. More practically, meeting structures that privilege fast, verbal, individual contribution may disadvantage team members from cultures that value reflection, consensus, or collective input. Decolonizing meeting language means both removing harmful phrases and redesigning how participation is structured.
Internal Communications and Values Statements
Organizational values statements often use aspirational language that sounds inclusive but reflects a narrow worldview. Words like "family" (which can obscure power imbalances), "meritocracy" (which ignores systemic barriers), and "colourblind" (which erases identity rather than honouring it) are worth a closer look. Culturally Committed works with organizations, and individual professionals, to audit their communications and develop language that is genuinely inclusive.
Decolonizing Language in Education
In educational settings, language is curriculum. The words educators use to describe history, geography, and identity shape what students understand to be true, and who they understand themselves to be.
Whose story is being told? A history lesson that frames European contact as "discovery" centres the colonizer's perspective and erases Indigenous presence, knowledge, and sovereignty. An English class that never includes Indigenous authors sends a message about whose voices and experiences are considered literary. Decolonizing language in education means asking these questions at every level, in lesson plans, in textbooks, in the way teachers introduce topics and frame discussions.
Educators also model language for their students. When a teacher defaults to colonial terminology without acknowledgment or critique, students absorb that framing as neutral and authoritative. When a teacher names the language, invites examination, and uses decolonized alternatives, students learn that language is a choice, and that it counts.
Culturally Committed offers professional development for educators and school boards looking to bring this practice into their teaching. Our training is grounded, practical, and designed to meet educators where they are.
It's a Practice, Not a Checklist
One of the most important things to understand about decolonizing language is that it does not end. There is no audit you can complete, no training you can attend, that will close the file on this work. Language evolves. Communities change. New contexts reveal new blind spots.
Mistakes will happen, especially early in the process. Someone will use a term they didn't know was harmful. A policy will go out with language that should have been reviewed. The question is not whether errors occur, but how you respond when they do. Accountability and correction, without defensiveness or self-flagellation, is the practice.
This is where cultural humility becomes essential. A person genuinely committed to decolonizing language stays curious, welcomes feedback, and understands that being corrected is not an attack, it is an opportunity. The goal is not to be flawless. The goal is to keep learning and to keep choosing better. For more on this mindset, read our post on Cultural Safety vs. Cultural Humility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of decolonizing language?One example is replacing the word "discovered" when describing European contact with Indigenous lands. "Discovered" implies the land was empty or unknown before European arrival, erasing the presence and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples who had lived there for thousands of years. Alternatives include "colonized," "invaded," or reframing entirely to centre Indigenous presence, for example, "the Haudenosaunee Confederacy had governed this territory for centuries before European contact."
Why is it important to decolonize language?
Language shapes how we understand history, identity, and power. Colonial language, woven into everyday phrases, institutional documents, and educational materials, continues to marginalize Indigenous peoples by centring colonial perspectives and erasing Indigenous ones. Decolonizing language is one accessible, meaningful step toward dismantling those structures and communicating in ways that reflect respect, accuracy, and genuine inclusion.
How do I start decolonizing my workplace language?
Start by auditing your most visible documents, job postings, onboarding materials, values statements, and meeting templates, for language that unconsciously centres a colonial or Eurocentric worldview. Replace terms like "pow wow" and "tribe" in professional contexts. Review how your organization describes its history and territory. Then create space for ongoing learning: bring in training, consult with Indigenous community members, and set up accountability structures for continued improvement.
Is it offensive to say "spirit animal"?
Yes, for many Indigenous peoples, using "spirit animal" casually is considered cultural appropriation and disrespectful. Spirit animals are sacred concepts rooted in specific Indigenous spiritual traditions, using the term to describe a favourite celebrity or animal trivializes that significance. Alternatives like "role model," "inspiration," or "the animal I most identify with" convey the same meaning without misappropriating Indigenous spirituality.
Every Word Is a Choice, Make It an Intentional One
Language is one of the most accessible entry points into decolonization work. You don't need a budget, a policy change, or an executive sign-off to begin examining the words you use. You need curiosity, humility, and a genuine willingness to keep learning.
That said, language is a starting point, not the destination. The words we use reflect the values we hold and the structures we create. Decolonizing language is most powerful when it is connected to deeper organizational change: rethinking hiring practices, redesigning policies, forming genuine relationships with Indigenous communities, and committing to cultural safety as a living practice.
Culturally Committed is here to support that full journey, from the words on your job posting to the culture in your organization. Our team, including Kim Trottier and other experienced mentors, offers workshops, consulting, and training designed for educators, healthcare providers, HR professionals, organizational leaders, and entrepreneurs building something of their own.
Ready to keep learning alongside others?
Join one of our monthly workshops, each one features a different guest speaker and teaching.
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Read next:
What Is Cultural Safety? → /what-is-cultural-safety/
Cultural Safety vs. Cultural Humility → /cultural-safety-vs-cultural-humility/
Indigenous Resurgence → /indigenous-resurgence/
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