Indigenous resurgence and practical decolonization

In her book, Simpson writes about the shame she once carried from the legacy of colonial abuse. Reflecting on her experiences, she explains that:

“We are not shameful people. We have done nothing wrong. I began to realize that shame can only take hold when we are disconnected from the stories of resistance within our own families and communities…I became interested in finding those stories of resistance and telling them” (p.14).

Simpson writes about Indigenous scholars like Taiaiake Alfred and Glen Coulthard (whose talks we have watched elsewhere in this course) who research and write about currents of resistance and resilience. Their work describes community-based nation building projects of Indigenous resurgence. The many examples they discuss showcase Indigenous visions of the future, as expressed in many areas, including governance, education, healthcare, and economic development.

In this course, we will look at some uniquely First Nations approaches towards technology development. Focusing on community-based projects, we will learn how First Nations from across Canada are building and using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to meet their needs. Through the many innovations taking place inside these communities and beyond, we can see how people are using these tools to support their goals.

Here is a short clip of Taiaiake Alfred talking about this process, and some of the elements of practical decolonialization and Indigenous resurgence. If you are interested in learning more from Prof. Alfred, this resource on the Numéro Cinq online journal provides A Short Course On The Theory Of Continuous Recolonization Of Indigenous People