Page 19 - Colonization and Decolonization: A Manual for Indigenous Liberation in the 21st Century

Today, terms such as First Nations & self-government imply some form of sovereignty. In the US, 'tribal sovereignty' is often used to describe the power of tribal governments on reserves. None of these terms, however, or the policies from which they are derived, have any basis in the actual exercise of sovereign power by Indigenous peoples.
Assimilation
Following the period of military invasion, and once an occupation has been established, surviving Indigenous populations are then subjected to policies ofassimilation. This is only possible after their military defeat.
In many colonial situations, a first step in assimilation is to contain the surviving Indigenous populations in a reservation system (Le., the South African Bantustan, or reserves in North America). This is necessary to 'open up territory for settlement & exploitation, while providing a basis for systematic indoctrination into European society.
In many colonial situations, it is the Church and missionaries who begin the process of indoctrination. A common tactic is the forcible removal of children from their families and communities, and their placement in Church-run schools (i.e., missions, Residential or Industrial Schools, etc.).
A primary target for indoctrination are chiefs or high ranking families; once converted, they serve as useful collaborators, able to influence their communities and to mobilize resources.
Along with education, all aspects of the colonial society are utilized in a process of assimilation, i.e., political, economic, ideological, cultural, etc. The goal is to eradicate as much of the Indigenous culture & philosophy as possible,
.and to replace these with those of European civilization.
Assimilation is a final phase in colonization. What distinguishes it from the previous stages of recon, invasion &
occupation is its primarily psychological aspects. It is not a military attack against a village, but a psychological attack against the mind & beliefsystem ofa people.
As a result o f assiinilation polices in Canada & the US, generations o f Indigenous people have become increasingly integrated into European society. Since the 1970s, more Indigenous people have become professionals (lawyers, doctors, businessmen, etc.), and more have passed through universities or ·colleges. As a result of this increased training, band councils now self-administer government policies and are more involved in business & resource exploitation that at any time in the past.
While this is promoted as progress (and even 'decolonizaton'), it is actually greater assimilation into the colonial society. Overall, today's generations ofIndigenous people show a greater degree ofassimilation than previous ones. Some factors that account for this are the effects of residential schools, decline of culture, reduced reliance on traditional ways of life, greater dependence on the colonial system, increased urbanization, and ongoing exposure to Western culture through modem communications (TV, movies, music, printed material, etc.).
c. Individual Impact
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Overall, Indigenous peoples can be said to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), both as a group and as individuals.
"Traumatic events involve death or the threat of death; injury or the threat of injury. It is not just the events themselves but the experience ofthose events that makes them traumatic."
(Trust After Trauma, p. 339).
Some examples oftraumatic events include war, natural disasters, physical or sexual assault, robbery, kidnapping, etc. PTSD is shared by many survivors oftrauma, such as combat veterans, victims oftorture, sexual or physical abuse, etc.
Colonization and genocide are examples of collective trauma that impact on a people's culture and identity, On an individual level, Indigenous people continue to suffer traumatic events, including widespread sexual abuse, domestic
violence, suicides, police violence, imprisonment, etc.
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