Anarcho-Indigenism - Mille feuilles

English language

Published Oct. 17, 2023 by Pluto Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-7453-4922-0

As early as the end of the nineteenth century, anarchists such as Peter Kropotkin and Élisée Reclus became interested in Indigenous peoples, many of whom they saw as societies without a state or private property, living a form of communism. Thinkers such as David Graeber and John Holloway have continued this tradition of engagement with the practices of Indigenous societies, while Indigenous activists coined the term 'anarcho-indigenism', in reference to a long history of (often imperfect) collaboration between anarchists and Indigenous activists, over land rights and environmental issues, including recent high profile anti-pipeline campaigns. Anarcho-Indigenism is a dialogue between anarchism and Indigenous politics. In interviews, the contributors reveal what Indigenous thought and traditions and anarchism have in common, without denying the scars left by colonialism. They ultimately offer a vision of the world that combines anti-colonialism, feminism, ecology, anti-capitalism and anti-statism.

2 editions

Zoyander Street reviewed Anarcho-Indigenism by Francis Dupuis-Déri

Mixed, but worth it in the end

4 stars

The meeting point of anarchism and indigenous politics is bursting with juicy contradictions and historical throughlines. The conversations in this book often challenge fundamental concepts that are often taken for granted. Is the fundamental unit of autonomy necessarily the individual, or can anarchism allow for the autonomy of a group or a people? What does it mean to "occupy" stolen land as a form of resistance? When is legal recognition a worthwhile goal, and when is it a trap?

Each of the six interviews in this book has a distinctive voice, and I think most people will be able to find at least one that resonates with them. Some chapters are conversational and meandering, while others are directed by a clear set of concerns and priorities set by the interviewee. My preference is always for the latter, but I know a lot of people who are more at home …

The meeting point of anarchism and indigenous politics is bursting with juicy contradictions and historical throughlines. The conversations in this book often challenge fundamental concepts that are often taken for granted. Is the fundamental unit of autonomy necessarily the individual, or can anarchism allow for the autonomy of a group or a people? What does it mean to "occupy" stolen land as a form of resistance? When is legal recognition a worthwhile goal, and when is it a trap?

Each of the six interviews in this book has a distinctive voice, and I think most people will be able to find at least one that resonates with them. Some chapters are conversational and meandering, while others are directed by a clear set of concerns and priorities set by the interviewee. My preference is always for the latter, but I know a lot of people who are more at home with the former. A highlight of many chapters in this book is the international solidarity work that contributors have carried out, connecting indigenous struggles on turtle island with Palestine, Aotearoa New Zealand, Greece, etc.

I left this book hungry for more, which I think is a success. I do feel a little saddened by the moments where the interviewee is having to explain the simple version of a complex problem to a non-indigenous audience; I wanted to see the version of this conversation that could have happened if the interviewer and interviewee shared an indigenous positionality, so that these explanations could be taken for granted and more complexity could be explored.