Category: WK2: Settler Colonialism

In the second half of “Land as Life: Unsettling the Logistics of Containment,” Mishuana Goeman places an emphasis on the indigenous people’s relationship between the land and the body and how they were both colonized by settlers, changing that relationship and how they are viewed individually as concepts as well. In Tuck and Yang’s paper “Decolonization is not a metaphor,” she fights against the way that the word decolonization has been turned into a metaphor that is no longer used to talk about Indigenous struggles or contributions. She also goes into the different types of colonialism, meaning that decolonization will look different depending on how it is originally colonized. Another important topic was how colonizers use various techniques to appear innocent despite their actions. 

Both papers talk about people who are of both native and white descent and how native heritage has been diluted as a means to aid colonization. The first paper mentioned how the one drop rule exempts native individuals from claiming land, allowing for their populations to die out and allowing colonizers to take their land once again. The second paper shows how colonizers view native bodies as something to colonize similar to land. They are connected by the implications of colonization and expand upon that idea that land is not the only thing affected. By reading both papers, it allows me to see a more complete picture that shows both how colonization has immediate implications on the current and future population. 

The second article made me think about the definition of the word colonization and how I feel that it is also used as a metaphor in modern day contexts to express a simple take over which undermines the implications of the original word as well. The first article made me think about how decolonization is something associated with the past because of the de- part of the word but also because it refers to getting rid of colonizer influence but the decolonization must take place in the future. Reverting things to how they were in the past is only part of the goal but the betterment of these communities must also be taken into account. This reminds me how in developmental psychology the goal in helping a recently impaired child is not only to restore their past abilities but also expand and improve upon them so that they are up to speed with peers of the same age. Just because the native community is trying to undo something doesn’t mean that it will be negative but it allows them to grow.

This week’s texts were primarily concerned with space, land, and decolonization. “When Place Becomes Race” by Sherene H Razack examines physical space to counter notions of space as merely a container to be filled but rather a dynamic, material product of segregation, “unequal economic relations,” and social construction. This introduction covered a wide range of topics –  mythologies created by settler colonialists, economic inequality, unhoused people using public spaces, separation created by institutions like the Hopital General, landscapes in literature, and more – and discussion of how each are inherently spatial considerations. “Land as Life” by Mishuana Goeman also centered around space, but Goeman is careful to separate her use of the word “land” from those that mean home or landscape or space in an abstract sense. Instead her discussion centers on land as a meaning-making place and one in which we must deconstruct the view of land as property. Like Razack, Goeman discusses the danger of assuming space “acts as a fluid medium in which mobile subjects dwell,” demanding a closer examination of relationships to land in Indigenous scholarship and a recognition of land as more than a limited territory delineated by invisible boundaries of property and border lines. I was most captivated by the discussion of the many prison sites which are placed on sites of significance in Indigenous narratives. I was honestly completely unaware of that fact, and I found it a striking example of the intersection between settler colonialism and the modern prison industrial complex. This is a topic I hope to explore further. I also noticed Goeman’s mention that “we need to decolonize our imaginations to decolonize the lived spaces we occupy.” Upon reading this the first time, I barely noticed this use of decolonization to mean an abstract, individually lead process of analyzing one’s thinking patterns. Afterall, I have seen decolonization to mean just that on many occasions. It wasn’t until reading “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Tuck and Yang that I really stopped to analyze this line. Tuck and Yang, acknowledge the importance of the questioning and social work that Goeman and others mean when they use “decolonization” this way, but they warn that this metaphorical use dilutes the words true and literal meaning. I found “Decolonization” to be the most salient text.

The article Decolonization is not a metaphor by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang discusses the concept of decolonization and how the term is often discussed and utilized in a way that ignores the harsh brutality behind the original instances of colonization. The term “decolonize” and other forms of the word typically is, as argued by the article, incorrectly used as a metaphor or a symbol. Tuck and Yang maintain their idea that decolonization is a term and concept that should only be used in the context of literal returning of land and property, along with freedom and sovereignty, back to those who were priorly colonized and stripped of their rights and independence. 

The article directly challenges the way that modern society approaches conversations about decolonization and society’s use of the term itself. The idea comes up in academic, social, activistic, and progressive settings, and this article criticizes the vagueness and looseness of how the term “decolonization” is used. Tuck and Yang point out how watered down the term has become when you look at the bigger picture and the history behind the idea of decolonization and colonization. They point out the brutality, the violence, the sheer unfairness and hopelessness behind colonization. The way that those who were colonized were stripped of their power, freedom, and rights, decolonization is the idea that all of these are to be fully returned. Specifically, in Indigenous communities, the article mentioned the major asterisks behind historical instances of supposed decolonization, such as the high rates of death and missingness amongst women and the lack of clean and healthy conditions for the Indigenous people after having everything that had once been stripped from them supposedly handed back to them. There is more symbolism behind decolonization that is often not attached to it the way it should be, in that decolonization does not have only to do with the physical regaining of land, but rather also the internal and cultural freedom and autonomy of the formerly colonized communities. 

I do agree with Tuck and Yang’s take on decolonization. It is a term and concept that when spoken about, often lacks the true seriousness and proper context behind the term and what it should truly mean. It is a powerful concept that should always be linked to symbolic freedom rather than just physical release from another governing body.

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The document Land as Life (LAL) by Mishuana Goeman, goes into detail on the contrast of the meaning of land between Native people and white Europeans. Goeman reveals the white Europeans assault on a Native American’s personal relationship with land as a place. Decolonization is not a metaphor by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang seeks to inform readers on the realities of what decolonization is. They argue that the phrase is tossed around without considering the realities faced by displaced cultures. Both documents go into depth on the effects of white colonials on native people, more specifically having to do with the connection with land. Goeman goes into what land means for native inhabitants. As opposed to the white view of land, a connection with land is established within a culture. Land holds more value in this sense as it contains important history for the Natives. To have that minimized to a resource of monetary value is an example of colonization. Tuck and Yang goes into depth in the aftermath of colonization. Once an evil is recognized colonials seek forgiveness, wanting to make things right through what is called “decolonization.” Both documents share this idea of an attack on Native culture and how it leads to the social injustices we see today. These documents were eye-opening. I was previously taught in school about the processes of decolonization. At the time, I thought that it was a good thing. However, getting to hear from both authors made me realize how difficult it is to make things right.  The effects of these injustices had already been felt, and current efforts to make things right could be seen as an attempt to erase history. It’s important to remember that there is no simple solution to this, if any. It must be done with the intention of helping a fellow person out, not trying to right a wrong. Instances similar to this can be seen today with the recent immigration raids. It makes me wonder if later down the line when the effects of mass deportations are felt, will Americans seek to reverse the wrongs done? These texts remind us that true justice requires more than just symbolic gestures. It demands a deep commitment to confronting and addressing systemic harm.

Race, Space and the Law was focused on explaining how land is not innocent but rather a very intentional tool of settlers to give themselves more power and to erase the history of indigenous people on the land. Land as Life explains the importance of land to indigenous identity, culture, and way of life but historically US systems of government have tried to minimize the important relationship indigenous people have with the land so that they can take it from them. Decolonization is not a Metaphor tries to emphasize that decolonization is an active process, not just a word or something done with social justice, it is focused on giving land back to indigenous communities and focusing on their futures and not the settlers. All the articles connect with each other well and kind of move from the broad topic of land, to then why land is important to indigenous communities, and how we can reverse what has happened historically to indigenous lands in an active way. One idea all the articles focused on heavily was that settlers have often tried to erase indigenous people’s roots to land to make themselves and those they govern feel like they have a “right” to the land since they were the “first”. The articles also did a great job at focusing on indigenous realities and not settlers’ experience or action. Oftentimes articles about indigenous lands focus on the settlers instead of the lived experience of those who were there first. The first article we read really challenged my idea of land as not innocent because in the same way borders and boundaries are active and a political tool, so is the land we stand on. Land as Life expanded more understanding of the importance of land to indigenous people. I understood that it was significant but I hadn’t made the connection on how the US government has tried to erase that significance to make the removal of indigenous land less violent, when in reality it was violent to indigenous people in every essence. Lastly, Decolonization challenged my idea of decolonization as a word simply thrown around in class but an action or a movement that needs to be done with intention and care. I am taking a class on “La Frontera” and the idea of how land and the way we move on these lands is a very personal and sometimes violent experience.

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