Cultural pain vs. Political gain: Aboriginal sovereignty in the context of decolonization

Abstract

Deep-seated divisions exist between Aboriginal organizations and leaders in North America and elsewhere, over how best to further the cause of Aboriginal sovereignty. These divisions raise a number of difficult questions, including what it means to be true to one's cultural heritage, how to defend against continuous pressure towards assimilation, and what is the role of non-Aboriginal traditions and people on the road towards indigenous cultural, political and economic self-determination. This article draws on selections from the work of Frantz Fanon and Paulo Freire in an effort to trace the genesis of these divisions as they become manifest within the context of North American Aboriginal communities. Doing so reveals how the necessity of being true to both a rich cultural heritage as well as a long and distinguished history of attempts to overcome entrenched processes of colonization, establishes a paradoxical and potentially debilitating dialectic between cultural and political imperatives.

Keywords:

• Aboriginal Sovereignty
• Colonialism
• Decolonization
• Frantz Fanon
• Paulo Freire