Indigenous studies? How about colonial studies?
We need to spend less time on
the 'Indian problem' and more
time on the imperial one
VICTORIA (CUP) — When one thinks about what is taught in indigenous studies, too often one thinks of a romanticized anthropological study of indigenous culture — basically white people studying "Indians."
While the ongoing presence of indigenous students, staff and faculty in the academy have challenged this perception, some non-Natives assume the department offers classes on indigenous peoples in order to teach two things: indigenous cultures (classic ethnography) and the "Indian problem." The latter usually takes the tone of, "What is wrong with Native communities, and how can we ('we' being non- Natives) fix it." This content is unfulfilling for indigenous students who enroll to develop skills to work in their communities.
In class, we often find ourselves caught in the same old discussions, while others, new to our lived reality, take some time to catch up. It gets to the point where all indigenous-focused classes, even upperyear ones, seem like "Intro to Native Studies" all over again. There is a genuine interest among some settler folks in learning about indigenous peoples; this is good. But it doesn't mean that a colonial way of learning about indigenous peoples has been discarded. In fact, in the classrooms of universities across the country, Native students are usually expected to be the authority on all things Native for the other students. We are expected to speak to our experiences, to our way of living and being in the world. We are doubly expected to share our stories about oppression and exploitation (just not in a way that makes anyone feel guilty).
Culture and resistance can't be learned about in a classroom. They must be experienced elsewhere. An indigenous community is the obvious place to start, but those who know indigenous communities know that you must be accepted by the community before you can learn anything, and acceptance is a difficult thing to get, because it involves building trust over time. Communities may not wish to teach culture and spirituality to outsiders; these things are theirs.
There are ways — respectful ways — to approach these issues. It is not through indigenous students, who have enough reading and writing to fill our time without worrying about doing other people's learning for them. It could be through indigenous and non-indigenous instructors and professors who are paid to do this. But the most readily available source of information is other settlers, local activist organizations and social justice movements.
There is plenty that can be learned in the classroom, and it can be a space of great dialogue, but it is not necessarily a place to discuss culture and social suffering. It is a place to learn about the colonial relationship in Canada, which is still very much alive, between settlers and indigenous peoples. If you take a class as a non-indigenous person, be less focused on us and our societies, and more focused on you and yours. Invest the time to learn about Canada's colonial past and imperial future — a future that you can shape.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
VICTORIA (CUP) — When one thinks about what is taught in indigenous studies, too often one thinks of a romanticized anthropological study of indigenous culture — basically white people studying "Indians."
While the ongoing presence of indigenous students, staff and faculty in the academy have challenged this perception, some non-Natives assume the department offers classes on indigenous peoples in order to teach two things: indigenous cultures (classic ethnography) and the "Indian problem." The latter usually takes the tone of, "What is wrong with Native communities, and how can we ('we' being non- Natives) fix it." This content is unfulfilling for indigenous students who enroll to develop skills to work in their communities.
In class, we often find ourselves caught in the same old discussions, while others, new to our lived reality, take some time to catch up. It gets to the point where all indigenous-focused classes, even upperyear ones, seem like "Intro to Native Studies" all over again. There is a genuine interest among some settler folks in learning about indigenous peoples; this is good. But it doesn't mean that a colonial way of learning about indigenous peoples has been discarded. In fact, in the classrooms of universities across the country, Native students are usually expected to be the authority on all things Native for the other students. We are expected to speak to our experiences, to our way of living and being in the world. We are doubly expected to share our stories about oppression and exploitation (just not in a way that makes anyone feel guilty).
Culture and resistance can't be learned about in a classroom. They must be experienced elsewhere. An indigenous community is the obvious place to start, but those who know indigenous communities know that you must be accepted by the community before you can learn anything, and acceptance is a difficult thing to get, because it involves building trust over time. Communities may not wish to teach culture and spirituality to outsiders; these things are theirs.
There are ways — respectful ways — to approach these issues. It is not through indigenous students, who have enough reading and writing to fill our time without worrying about doing other people's learning for them. It could be through indigenous and non-indigenous instructors and professors who are paid to do this. But the most readily available source of information is other settlers, local activist organizations and social justice movements.
There is plenty that can be learned in the classroom, and it can be a space of great dialogue, but it is not necessarily a place to discuss culture and social suffering. It is a place to learn about the colonial relationship in Canada, which is still very much alive, between settlers and indigenous peoples. If you take a class as a non-indigenous person, be less focused on us and our societies, and more focused on you and yours. Invest the time to learn about Canada's colonial past and imperial future — a future that you can shape.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
