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For Indigenous Eyes Only Beginning Decolonization

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For Indigenous Eyes Only Beginning Decolonization For Indigenous Eyes Only Beginning Decolonization Waziyatawin and Michael Yellow Bird A. Introduction Congratulations! In opening this book you have A. Introduction engaged in an act of decolonization. We hope this will be one of many steps on your journey toward libera- B.What Is Colonization? tion. As Indigenous Peoples we have an inherent right C.What Is Decolonization? to be free in our own lands. We have an inherent right to self-determination. Though these statements repre- D.A Gathering of Decolonization sent truths and they speak of rights we once possessed, Activists these rights have been systematically stripped from us. When others invaded our lands and stole them from E.The Topics We Cover underneath our bodies, when they destroyed our ways of life and injured our peoples, they prevented us from living the way we were intended to live. Reclaiming our inherent rights will require tremendous struggle. It will require learning to meaningfully resist the forces of colonialism that have so detrimentally impacted our lives. It will require the decolonization of North America. Since the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized is so deeply entrenched in the United States and Canada, most of us have never learned how to actively challenge the status quo. The current insti- tutions and systems are designed to maintain the privilege of the colonizer and the subjugation of the colonized, and to produce generations of people who will never question their position within this relation- ship. Thus, no handbook exists to teach our people how to begin to challenge this oppressive relationship in our daily lives. Until now. This workbook is intend- ed as a primer to help you to think more concisely about the meanings of colonization and decoloniza- tion, to give you a language to talk about them, and to COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 1 assist you in developing strategies for decolonizing your C.What Is Decolonization? life and your world. But first we must define some First and foremost, decolonization must occur in basic terms. our own minds. The Tunisian decolonization activist, Albert Memmi, wrote, “In order for the colonizer to be B.What Is Colonization? the complete master, it is not enough for him to be so Colonization refers to both the formal and in actual fact, he must also believe in its legitimacy. In informal methods (behaviors, ideologies, institutions, order for that legitimacy to be complete, it is not policies, and economies) that maintain the subjugation enough for the colonized to be a slave, he must also or exploitation of Indigenous Peoples, lands, and accept his role.” The first step toward decolonization, resources. Colonizers engage in this process because it then, is to question the legitimacy of colonization. allows them to maintain and/or expand their social, Once we recognize the truth of this injustice we can political, and economic power. Colonization is detri- think about ways to resist and challenge colonial insti- mental to us because the colonizers’ power comes at tutions and ideologies. Thus, decolonization is not the expense of Indigenous lands, resources, lives, and passive; rather, it requires something called praxis. self- determination. Not only has colonization resulted Brazilian liberatory educator Paulo Freire defined in the loss of major rights such as land and self- praxis as “reflection and action upon the world in determination, but most of our contemporary daily order to transform it.” This is the means by which we struggles (poverty, family violence, chemical depen- turn from being subjugated human beings to being lib- dency, suicide, and the deterioration of health) are also erated human beings. In accepting the premise of direct consequences of colonization. Colonization is colonization and working towards decolonization, we an all-encompassing presence in our lives. The conse- are not relegating ourselves to a status as victims. On quences of colonization are similar for peoples all over the contrary, we are actively working toward our own the world including, for example, the Maoris of New freedom to transform our lives and the world around Zealand, the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia, First us. The project that begins with our minds, therefore, Nations Peoples of Canada, and Indigenous Peoples has revolutionary potential. of Africa and Latin America. ACTIVITY: As your first community activity, create a term for both colonization and decolonization in your Indigenous language.This exercise will provide an opportunity for you and your community to think consciously and critically about the meaning of both these terms from your own cultural framework. Colonization: ____________________________________________________________________ Decolonization: __________________________________________________________________ 2 Waziyatawin and Michael Yellow Bird COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL What are the literal and figurative meanings of your translations and what does this indicate about your culture’s view of these processes? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Colonization and decolonization are words that be called practitioner-activists. That is, we frequently should become a standard part of the vocabulary of all take political positions to challenge colonialism, Indigenous Peoples, including the young people. practicing this in our daily life, at our jobs, in our Giving a name to our experience will add to our own children’s schools, in our communities, and in the empowerment. When you can use this language to broader society. In addition, we are all writers who speak for yourself, you are engaging in a form of resist- have engaged in the intellectual debate surrounding ance to colonialism. Furthermore, conceptualizing decolonization and we subscribe to the notion that these ideas within our own Indigenous lens is a more decolonization is necessary to the well-being and advanced decolonization activity. In drawing on your liberation of our peoples. Indigenous language you are not only recovering In this handbook we do not intend to provide Indigenous knowledge that is in jeopardy of being lost universal solutions for the problems stemming from as a consequence of colonialism, you are also making centuries of colonialism. Rather, we hope to facilitate that language relevant to contemporary times. Because and encourage critical-thinking skills while offering the colonizers attempted to methodically eradicate our recommendations for fostering community discussions Indigenous languages, our efforts to recover the lan- and plans for purposeful community action. Therefore, guage are also a powerful form of resistance. we are not making recommendations for what Indigenous individuals and communities should do, D.A Gathering of Decolonization Activists but instead we are establishing starting points for dis- The topic of a decolonization workbook was ini- cussions about employing decolonization strategies in tially proposed by Devon Mihesuah and Waziyatawin daily life. We have constructed this in a workbook Angela Wilson, who believe strongly that scholars format to immediately encourage your active participa- should engage in projects useful to Indigenous Peoples. tion in the hard work of decolonization. We believe Though, quite regretfully, Devon was unable to partici- that as Indigenous Peoples we have the power, strength, pate in the project, we hope that her inspiration and and intelligence to develop culturally specific decolo- commitment are evident. To carry out the proposed nization strategies relevant to our own communities. topic, in February 2004 a group of nine Indigenous We all have the capacity to actively pursue our own intellectuals gathered at the School of American emancipation from oppression. Research in Santa Fe to address the topic of “Creating We must also emphasize that this handbook is a Decolonization Workbook” in a short seminar. This intended to prompt beginning discussions on decolo- handbook is the result of that meeting. The intellectu- nization. It is intended to rally a critical, and critical- als who attended this meeting are all individuals rooted thinking, group of Indigenous People dedicated to in tribal communities who are dedicated to helping decolonization who will eventually help to mobilize a Indigenous Peoples move toward freedom from the massive decolonization movement in North America. oppressive forces of colonialism. We are all what might As Indigenous intellectuals concerned about the COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Beginning Decolonization 3 survival of our peoples, we have included exercises and Bird then outlines how you can set up a Critical activities here that we felt we could responsibly advo- Thinking Center in your community so that you can cate as beginning decolonization strategies. We are not begin to share this process with others and contribute advocating the immediate taking up of arms or the your skills and developing knowledge to a growing organization of an Indigenous militia. Instead, we are tribal critical consciousness. advocating peaceful, intelligent, and courageous chal- Suzan Shown Harjo demonstrates the importance lenges to the existing institutions of colonialism as well of thinking critically about how Indigenous Peoples are as questioning our own complicity in those institu- represented so that we can take appropriate action
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