EVEN BEFORE he took office, United States president Donald Trump was talking about annexing Canada, posting on Truth Social in mid-December, “I think it’s a great idea. 51st state!!!” Trump is funny, but only unintentionally, and as his statements have grown more threatening and frequent, even the most optimistic pundits have stopped dismissing them as jokes. The issue of sovereignty has become a unifying cause for Canadians—and the most urgent existential issue of the election.

For Indigenous nations, these threats have a familiar ring. For generations, they have been told that assimilation is in their best interests—by a nation with its hungry gaze fixed on their abundant natural resources, a capricious ally who has shown it will break treaties and agreements when convenient. There is unique potential in this moment for empathy: Canadians might finally be in a position to truly understand why Indigenous people are unwilling to give up their distinct histories, cultures, and identities, no matter the cost of fighting to preserve them.