settler colonial studies blog

Native feminisms ‘Bring Together Critiques of Settler Colonialism and Heteropatriarchy’: Eve Tuck, Karyn Recollet, ‘Introduction to Native Feminist Texts’, English Journal, 106, 1, 2016, pp. 16–22

04Oct16

Access this introduction here.

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Migrants or settlers? Katie Wright Higgins, Ambiguous Migrants: Contemporary British Migrants in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, PhD Dissertation, University of Sussex, 2016

01Oct16

Abstract: A bicultural approach to the politics of settler-indigenous relations, rapidly increasing ethnocultural diversity and its status as an ex-British settler society, make Auckland a fascinating and complex context in which to examine contemporary British migrants. However, despite Britain remaining one of the largest source countries for migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the country’s popularity as a destination among British emigrants, contemporary arrivals have attracted relatively little attention. This thesis draws on twelve-months of qualitative research, including in-depth interviews with forty-six participants, photo-elicitation with a smaller group, and participant observation, in order to develop a nuanced account of participants’ narratives, everyday experiences and personal geographies of Auckland. This thesis adopts a lens attentive to the relationship between the past and the present in order to explore British migrants’ imaginaries of sameness and difference, national belonging, place and ‘the good life’ in Aotearoa New Zealand. First, through attention to the ‘colonial continuities’ of participants’ popular geographical and temporal imaginaries of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the lifestyles they associate with it, this thesis is part of growing attention to historical precedents of ‘the good life’ in international lifestyle migration literature. Secondly, by examining participants’ relations with Māori, other ethnicised groups, bi- and multiculturalism, I expand on whether these migrants’ invest, or not, in ‘the settler imaginary’ (Bell 2014). In doing so, I bring crucial nuance to understandings of ethnic and cultural difference, and settler-indigenous relations, in globalising white settler spaces. As neither fully ‘them’ nor ‘us’ (Wellings 2011), British migrants occupy an ambiguous position in ex-British settler societies. Finally, I examine participants’ notions of shared ancestry and of cultural familiarity with Pākehā, and, in doing so, problematise the notion of Britishness as a natural legacy or passive inheritance in this context.

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Settler is better? Cecilia Morgan, Building Better Britains? Settler Societies in the British World, 1783-1920, University of Toronto Press, 2016

30Sep16

Description: The impact of empires and the lingering presence of colonialism continue to be major preoccupations for scholars in the twenty-first century. This concise text explores the spread of settler colonies within the British Empire over the course of the nineteenth century, specifically those in New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Australia.

In Building Better Britains?, Cecilia Morgan examines how imperial powers reshaped the lives and landscapes of millions through colonial relationships with Indigenous peoples, and the processes of migration and settlement that facilitated the British Empire’s global expansion. Identity and culture in geographically diverse settler societies are compared, highlighting shared histories and the nuances that differentiated them. Morgan encourages readers to consider settler societies from multiple perspectives, including those of the colonists themselves. Eight maps and eight illustrations enhance the text, along with a bibliography and index.

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Including a chapter on social work and indigenous peoples in settler colonial contexts: Hilary N. Weaver, ‘Reflections on Social Work and Indigenous Peoples’, in Richard Hugman, Jan Carter (eds), Rethinking Values and Ethics in Social Work, Palgrave, 2016, pp 129-145

30Sep16

Access the book here.

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Despite this author’s effors, the short answer is still ‘never’: Raef Zreik, ‘When Does a Settler Become a Native? (With Apologies to Mamdani)’, Constellations, 23, 3, 2016, pp. 351–364

27Sep16

Access the article here.

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On settler Mormonism and race: Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, ‘”Do They See Me?” Race and Mormon History’, Reviews in American History, 44, 3, 2016, pp. 450-456

27Sep16

Excerpt: In a 1973 article, Mormon scholar Eugene England described the decision of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to deny the priesthood to black men as a “cross” that white Mormons had to bear. England saw it as an Abrahamic sacrifice. God, he wrote, “asks us to sacrifice not only our political and social ideals and the understanding and good will of our colleagues and friends, but seems to ask us to sacrifice the very essence of His own teachings—the divine potential of all His children.^”England believed that the racism of white Mormons had ultimately forced God’s hand, causing Him “to institute a lower law” in which black men would not have full membership in God’s Church or be able to participate in all of its ordinances. On June 8, 1978, Spencer W. Kimball announced that he had received a divine revelation rescinding the ban. In spite of the announcement, Mormons have continued to struggle with the racial exclusivity. For instance, at a 2015 conference on being black and Mormon, an African American woman described feeling ostracized because the paintings of heaven in a Mormon temple she visited only included white angels. “Do they see me?” she asked herself^. The implicit answer was no.

Black Mormons could ask a similar question about official church histories. There has been an attempt among some Mormon historians, however, to excavate the lives of early black church members and to locate the origins of the black priesthood and temple bans. In 1973, for example, Lester Bush, Jr., argued that restrictions on the priesthood had originated not with Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founding prophet, but with his successors.⁴ Scholars like Russell Stevenson (Black Mormon, 2013) have contributed to the debates surrounding the nature of blackness within early Mormonism. This work has [End Page 450] tended to be biographical, adding individuals like Jane Manning James and Elijah Abel to the pantheon of Mormon pioneers. The most recent works in this subfield are under review here—Angela Pulley Hudson’s Real Native Genius and W. Paul Reeve’s Religion of a Different Color. These two books differ from previous explorations of race within Mormonism in that their racial analysis brings American Indians and African Americans into the same frame. They also seek to reach a broader academic audience by using Mormonism to understand the intersections of race, sexuality, and religion in the nineteenth century.

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Settler colonialism in Uruguay: Gustavo Verdesio, ‘Ethnic Reemergence in Uruguay: The Return of the Charrúa in the Light of Settler Colonialism Studies’, in Juan G. Ramos, Tara Daly (eds), Decolonial Approaches to Latin American Literatures and Cultures, Palgrave, 2016, pp. 163-179

27Sep16

Abstract: Verdesio discusses the shortcomings of a central category in the theoretical repertoire of the decolonial option: “coloniality of power.” By focusing on Uruguay as a case study, a country where the colonial legacies typical of settler colonialism are still alive, Verdesio shows the limited explanatory power of categories like coloniality of power, that were born out of the study of other forms of colonialism. The negative, sometimes passionate reactions the reemergence of the Charrúa Indians has elicited from a significant number of social actors (politicians, academics, and the general public) are discussed as a symptomatic phenomenon that may help one understand the deep roots and currency of present-day colonial legacies.

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How were they dispossessed? Michael Warren Murphy, ‘”No Beggars amongst Them”: Primitive Accumulation, Settler Colonialism, and the Dispossession of Narragansett Indian Land’, Humanity & Society, 2016

25Sep16

Abstract: This article explores historical processes of land dispossession through an in-depth case of the Narragansett Indians of present-day Rhode Island. Using an eventful historical methodology, I uncover three primary mechanisms, each temporally situated, that dispossessed the Narragansett tribe of their land: violence, debt, and state governance. I proceed by first considering Narragansett life before the incursion of settler colonialism. Following this brief exploration, I turn to an analysis of both the historical events and processes that dispossessed the Narragansett of their land. This analysis contributes to the literature on empire and colonialism, as well as theoretical debates on primitive accumulation and settler colonialism, by exploring and identifying the mechanisms by which primitive accumulation operated within a specific settler-colonial context. In the end, I argue that sociology must expand analytically and conceptually to include indigenous experiences of ongoing dispossession in order to end the disciplines complicity in the elimination of the native.

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Integrating indigenous and settler law: Rodrigo Míguez Núñez, ‘Indigenous Customary Law in a Civil Law Context: Latin America and the Chilean Case’, Rechtsgeschichte/Legal History, 24, 2016, pp. 302-313

25Sep16

Abstract: Based on anthropological and historical considerations, this paper analyses the evolution of the relationship between Western law and aboriginal custom in Latin America by focusing on the most tangible and problematic issue in customary law: land tenure. My aim is to provide a critical review of the impact of the rule of law in the arrangement of the alternative cosmologies that flows from the material and spiritual relationship of indigenous groups with their lands. Historical and political issues will be emphasised to illustrate the current problems concerning the interaction between custom and formal law in the case of the Mapuche people from Chile. By looking at some recent developments in the arena of public law, indigenous legislation and legal doctrine, the paper finally suggests how private law discourse, which traditionally has paid almost no attention to the discussion of indigenous law, might be integrated into the legal systems that widely recognise indigenous customs.

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Who owns the Ancient One (republished)? Heather Burke, Claire E Smith, Dorothy Lippert, Joe E Watkins, Larry J Zimmerman (eds), Kennewick Man: Perspectives on the Ancient One, Routledge, 2016

25Sep16

Description: Kennewick Man, known as the Ancient One to Native Americans, has been the lightning rod for conflict between archaeologists and indigenous peoples in the United States. A decade-long legal case pitted scientists against Native American communities and highlighted the shortcomings of the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), designed to protect Native remains. In this volume, we hear from the many sides of this issue—archaeologists, tribal leaders, and others—as well as views from the international community. The wider implications of the case and its resolution is explored. Comparisons are made to similar cases in other countries and how they have been handled. Appendixes provide the legal decisions, appeals, and chronology to allow full exploration of this landmark legal struggle. An ideal starting point for discussion of this case in anthropology, archaeology, Native American studies, and cultural property law courses. Sponsored by the World Archaeological Congress.

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