Landing : Athabascau University

ENVS461 blog 10 unit 9 Settler colonialism and decolonization

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By Chaoran Chen July 26, 2023 - 6:05am
ENVS461 blog 10 unit 9 Settler colonialism and decolonization

    Settler colonialism usually adopts a racial organizational grammar. Territoriality is an essential element of settler colonialism, usually existing in a way that increases opportunities for acquiring land. Settler colonialism is a continuous system of power that typically involves the extinction of indigenous cultures and acts of genocide, and the exploitation of indigenous peoples' land and resources is also a characteristic of settler colonialism. This form of colonialism often leads to the destruction of indigenous culture, social structure, and land. Settlers usually deprive indigenous peoples of their rights and resources through means such as force.(Wolfe,2006)
Settler colonialism is' a structure, not an event 'because it seeks to dissolve local society, but at the same time it establishes a new colonial society on the expropriated land.(Wolfe,2006)
     The elimination of indigenous peoples conflicts with claims of settler nationalism. Settler societies need to exterminate the natives in order to establish their own social structures on their territories. However, settler societies subsequently sought to restore their localism to express their corresponding independence. Settler colonialism allows us to look at both sides of the issue, for example in the case of Zionism, from both Palestinian and Israeli perspectives.(Wolfe,2006)
    Leanne Simpson says different indigenous understandings of sovereignty have to do with self-determination and reciprocal relationships, including with land. Indigenous peoples have lived there for generations and their local culture and education are the best for them. The Aboriginal concept of sovereignty, watered down under modern education, allows for different jurisdictions and different sovereignties in a common territory, as long as everyone acts in a respectful and responsible manner. Modern education allows indigenous people to learn only what is imposed on them by society, which violates the pluralism of knowledge and weakens their own abilities when they learn the knowledge and experience imposed on them. Learning is not forced, and each learner is autonomous, free from domination and oppression. (Simpson, 2015)
     Simpson's example in this week's video is a seed that indigenous people do not need to be forced into their education with so-called experience and knowledge, and that every learner should be respected and not oppressed in their learning. The methods of modern education should be changed, knowledge should be diversified, and learners should be independent.

 

Wolfe, Patrick. (2006). Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native . Journal of Genocide Research 8(4): 387–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623520601056240

Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake. (2015, April 8). Decolonial love: Building resurgent communities of connection [Video]. EMMA Talks. http://emmatalks.org/video/leanne-simpson