Unsettling ecosocial work: ethical reflections on land-based practice as a settler social worker

Abstract

This thesis examines how settler social workers might ethically incorporate land-based approaches on colonized Indigenous Land. Using an autoethnographic methodology grounded in anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, and relational theories, the research draws on Anishinaabe teachings—particularly mino-bimaadiziwin (the good way)—to challenge dominant assumptions in social work and explore the responsibilities of settlers. Fieldwork involved a series of contemplative walks on land held under Canadian property law by the researcher’s family, in what is now known as Sudbury, Ontario, within the territory covered by the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850. These walks generated audio and written reflections, which were thematically analyzed to examine the intersections of settler identity, land relations, and social work practice. The findings suggest that ethical engagement with land-based approaches requires more than cultural inclusion or symbolic gestures; it demands ongoing relational and material accountability, critical self-reflection, and a willingness to confront settler complicity. Material accountability includes supporting Indigenous land return, honouring treaties, and redistributing resources. This research contributes to emerging discussions in ecosocial work by foregrounding Indigenous knowledge systems, relational ethics, and the political implications of land-based practice. It offers a framework for settler practitioners to engage with the land without reproducing extractive or appropriative dynamics of settler colonialism.