Title: Living in Indigenous Sovereignty

Author(s): Elizabeth Author(s): Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara with Gladys Rowe

Publisher: Fernwood Publishing

Genre: history/nonfiction/humanities & social sciences

Pages: 297

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Review: This book certainly was something. Where to begin? This book exists to educate non-Indigenous people like myself, and it’s perfect for that. Living in Indigenous Sovereignty talks about many things, but that main idea is to teach and encourage those who are not Indigenous to learn how to live in Indigenous Sovereignty. (You’d never be able to guess that from the title, I know 😉 ) It talks about the racism that many Indigenous have faced throughout the years, and the struggles that they had, and still have to go through. One thing that I really got from this book was to not be a toxic person, and be open to learning and accepting the fact they lived in Canada first, and that this is their land. This book talks about respecting the Indigenous, listening to them, and allying with them. In a way, we’re supposed to help them, but not in a toxic “I’ll help you because I’m better than you” way, more like an ally—or a new term that I learned recently; accomplice. Even though there were some parts of the book that I might not’ve fully understood at first, it was all explained fairly clearly at the end. And in the end I was truly inspired and left with a lot to think about. I found that the stories of other people who were working with Indigenous to be very helpful. Some people were Indigenous, but a lot of them were not, and it was their story and journey of learning to live and accept Indigenous Sovereignty. It was a very informational read, but I will admit that I did struggle a little bit to process the information. It took me a while to finish it, as well.

Here are some other new words that I learned reading this book:
anti-colonialism ~ the struggle against imperial rule in colonized countries
heteropatriarchy ~ a hierarchical society or culture dominated by heterosexual males whose characteristic bias is unfavorable to females in general
settler colonialism ~ a type of colonialism in which foreign settlers immigrate and permanently reside on land already inhabited by Indigenous residents
anti-imperialism ~ opposition to imperialism
imperialism ~ the extension of a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political dominance over other nations.

There were many quotes used in this book, but here are two that stuck out to me the most:

“I am convinced that most Settlers are in denial. They know that the foundations of their countries are corrupt, and they know that their countries are “colonial” in historical terms, but still they refuse to see and accept the fact that there can be no rhetorical transcendence and retelling of the past to make it right without making fundamental changes to their government, society, and the way they live.” ~ David C. Williams

“If you can allow yourself to feel what’s there, including the grief, it passes. It doesn’t mean it’s over, it doesn’t mean that, okay now everything is fine, but it’s a working through, it’s an acknowledgement of how bad it was. And in my experience, unless you come to that acknowledgement, it’s going to be pretty hard for you to work with Indigenous people and for Indigenous people to trust you…. Where your heart is, is really important, and I think that unless we do open our hearts and let our hearts grieve, and feel even a smidge of the pain of what’s happened, which Indigenous people had to live with, we can’t really connect honestly. We’re avoiding it.” ~ Victoria Freeman

Because today (September 30th) is also National Translation Day, here’s this book review in Tagalog (Philippine National Language) as well!

Pamagat: Pamumuhay sa Katutubong Soberanya

May-akda: Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara kasama si Gladys Rowe

Tagapaglathala: Fernwood Publishing

Genre: history/nonfiction/humanities at social sciences

Mga pahina: 297

Marka: 4.5/5 na bituin

Pagsusuri ng libro:

Tiyak na bagay ang aklat na ito para sa ito. Saan magsisimula? Umiiral ang aklat na ito upang turuan ang mga hindi Katutubo na tulad ko, at perpekto ito para doon. Ang Living in Indigenous Sovereignty ay nagsasalita tungkol sa maraming bagay, ngunit ang pangunahing ideya na iyon ay upang turuan at hikayatin ang mga hindi katutubo na matuto kung paano mamuhay sa Indigenous Sovereignty. (Hinding-hindi mo mahuhulaan iyon mula sa pamagat, alam ko 😉 ) Pinag-uusapan nito ang kapootang panlahi na hinarap ng maraming Katutubo sa mga nakaraang taon, at ang mga pakikibaka na mayroon sila, at kailangan pa ring pagdaanan. Ang isang bagay na talagang nakuha ko mula sa aklat na ito ay ang hindi maging isang nakakalason na tao, at maging bukas sa pag-aaral at pagtanggap sa katotohanang sila ay unang nanirahan sa Canada, at ito ang kanilang lupain. Ang aklat na ito ay nagsasalita tungkol sa paggalang sa mga Katutubo, pakikinig sa kanila, at pakikipag-alyansa sa kanila. Sa isang paraan, dapat nating tulungan sila, ngunit hindi sa isang nakakalason na “Tutulungan kita dahil mas mahusay ako kaysa sa iyo” na paraan, mas katulad ng isang kaalyado—o isang bagong termino na natutunan ko kamakailan; kasabwat. Kahit na may ilang bahagi ng aklat na maaaring hindi ko lubos na nauunawaan sa simula, ang lahat ay ipinaliwanag nang malinaw sa dulo. At sa huli ay talagang na-inspire ako at naiwan ng maraming iniisip.

Narito ang ilan pang mga bagong salita na natutunan kong basahin ang aklat na ito:

anti-kolonyalismo ~ ang pakikibaka laban sa paghahari ng imperyal sa mga kolonisadong bansa

heteropatriarchy ~ isang hierarchical na lipunan o kultura na pinangungunahan ng mga heterosexual na lalaki na ang katangiang bias ay hindi pabor sa mga babae sa pangkalahatan

settler colonialism ~ isang uri ng kolonyalismo kung saan ang mga dayuhang settler ay nandayuhan at permanenteng naninirahan sa lupang tinitirhan na ng mga katutubong residente

anti-imperyalismo ~ pagsalungat sa imperyalismo

imperyalismo ~ ang pagpapalawig ng awtoridad ng isang bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagkuha ng teritoryo o sa pamamagitan ng pagtatatag ng pang-ekonomiya at pulitikal na pangingibabaw sa ibang mga bansa.

Mayroong maraming mga sipi na ginamit sa aklat na ito, ngunit narito ang dalawa na higit na nananatili sa akin:

“Kumbinsido ako na karamihan sa mga Settler ay tumatanggi. Alam nila na ang mga pundasyon ng kanilang mga bansa ay tiwali, at alam nila na ang kanilang mga bansa ay “kolonyal” sa mga makasaysayang termino, ngunit tumanggi pa rin silang makita at tanggapin ang katotohanan na maaaring magkaroon ng walang retorikal na transendence at muling pagsasalaysay ng nakaraan upang gawin itong tama nang hindi gumagawa ng mga pangunahing pagbabago sa kanilang pamahalaan, lipunan, at paraan ng kanilang pamumuhay.” ~ David C. Williams

“Kung maaari mong hayaan ang iyong sarili na madama kung ano ang naroroon, kasama ang kalungkutan, lumipas ito. At sa aking karanasan, maliban kung dumating ka sa pagkilalang iyon, magiging mahirap para sa iyo na makipagtulungan sa mga Katutubo at para sa mga Katutubong magtiwala sa iyo…. Kung nasaan ang iyong puso, ay talagang mahalaga, at Sa tingin ko, maliban na lang kung buksan natin ang ating mga puso at hayaan ang ating mga puso na magdalamhati, at makaramdam ng kahit katiting na sakit ng mga nangyari, na kinailangan ng mga Katutubong pakisamahan, hindi talaga tayo makakakonekta nang tapat. Iniiwasan natin ito.” ~ Victoria Freeman