Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism, and Indigenous Liberation
This reading list includes foundational texts on Indigenous struggle, what it means to be Indigenous, and the nature of settler colonialism. The Red Nation is an Indigenous-led organization open to anyone, so it’s important that we are grounded always in Indigenous liberation on Turtle Island. Pieces that are bolded are those we recommend you start out with.
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Articles
A foundational (though academic) article on the nature of settler colonialism and how it centers on the destruction and replacement of Indigenous people by settlers. It discusses the relationship between settler colonialism and genocide.
Bordertown Violence by Melanie Yazzie“Settler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native” by Patrick Wolfe
An Op-Ed written by TRN member Melanie Yazzie on the “anti-Indian common sense” in America and the ways colonial violence manifests in bordertowns surrounding Indigenous nations.
Native Liberation: The Way Forward by Nick Estes Transcript of a speech given by TRN member Nick Estes at the 2016 Native Liberation Conference explaining why Indigenous struggle is central to justice on this continent.
Discourse on Colonialism by Aimeé Cesaire Essay by Martinique author Aimeé Cesaire on the nature of colonialism and how it is never to the benefit of the colonized. He criticizes the way that Europeans discussed colonialism and argues that the violence between European nations during the World Wars are simply colonial violence turned on each other rather than the usual colonized nations.
Books
Foundational book on decolonization that discusses the experience of colonizer and colonized in Algeria and the changes that occurs in the colonized during revolutionary struggle. It covers wide-ranging topics of decolonization from the role of native intellectuals to the pitfalls of cultural nationalism and bourgeois politics.
Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science by Kim TallBear Kim TallBear’s book shows how Indigenous identity is not about blood or DNA but rather a political identity based on tribal membership. With the growing rise of DNA testing, Indigenous claims to land, resources, and sovereignty are at risk of being undermined.
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by RDONative American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science by Kim TallBear
Dunbar-Ortiz’s book challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how policy against the Indigenous peoples was colonialist and designed to seize the territories of the original inhabitants, displacing or eliminating them. Highly recommended! PDFs of first 3 chapters: Ch 1-2: Culture of Conquest, Ch 3: Cult of the Covenant
Custer Died for Your Sins by Vine Deloria Jr. Book written by Lakota scholar Vine Deloria Jr. that consists of 11 essays ranging in topics from discussions of stereotypes, Christian churches, anthropologists, and racism in America.
Videos & Podcasts
Check out The Red Nation Podcast, which focuses on many issues relevant to Indigenous struggle. Recommended episode: A Brief Overview of the American Indian Movement (AIM) with Nick Estes
This Land Podcast A podcast hosted by Rebecca Nagle that “traces how a cut and dry homicide opened up an investigation into the treaty rights of five Native American tribes.” It discusses the background of two Supreme Court cases relating to Indigenous sovereignty in Oklahoma, including the recent ruling that half of Oklahoma is still (and always was) Indigenous treaty territory.
Concerning Violence short film A documentary film made by Swedish filmmakers based on newly discovered archive material covering the struggle for liberation from colonial rule in the late ’60s and ’70s, accompanied by text from Frantz Fanon’s “The Wretched of the Earth”. (1hr 28 min)