Relating Indigenous and Settler Identities - (Identity Studies in the Social Sciences) by A Bell (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this era of recognition and reconciliation in settler societies indigenous peoples are laying claims to tribunals, courts and governments and reclaiming extensive territories and resource rights, in some cases even political sovereignty. But, paradoxically, alongside these practices of decolonization, settler societies continue the work of colonization in myriad everyday ways. This book explores this ongoing colonization in indigenous-settler identity politics in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. These four are part of the 'Post-British World' and share colonial orientations towards indigenous peoples traceable to their European origins. The book identifies a shared settler imaginary that continues to constrain indigenous possibilities while it fails to deliver the redemption and unified nationhood settler peoples crave. Against this colonizing imaginary this book argues for the need for a new relational imaginary that recognizes the autonomy of indigenous ways of being, living and knowing"--

Book Synopsis

This book uses identity theories to explore the struggles of indigenous peoples against the domination of the settler imaginary in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The book argues that a new relational imaginary can revolutionize the way settler peoples think about and relate to indigenous difference.

Review Quotes

"Superb. A powerful and rich piece of writing about a key relationship in today's world: that between indigenous and settler peoples. With clarity and grace, this book provides new insights into the necessary engagements between us." - Professor Alison Jones, University of Auckland, New Zealand

"This book should be on the shelves of every researcher working on identity issues - mandatory reading for those working on settler societies such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Avril Bell combines rich, riveting accounts of settler-indigene relations with elegant, accessible reviews of key theory. I am recommending this gem of a book to all my graduate students and to all those interested in the possibilities for new kinds of political and ethical relations in postcolonial contexts." - Margaret Wetherell, Open University, UK

About the Author

Avril Bell is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. She specializes in settler identities and the relationships between settler and indigenous peoples, particularly in relation to New Zealand society. Her work addresses the ongoing legacies of colonization and practices of decolonization.