Out of this section, the chapter on Cheap Lives caught my attention the most, probably because of its direct relation to hegemony. It can be summed up fairly simply as the way that people in power use the idea of a superior "us" over an inferior "them" to legitimize violence (p181).
Patel + Moore use Celtic peoples as an example of an Indigenous group that fell under this hegemonic influence. The English viewed them as morally inferior and wasteful of their resources, which allowed them to take their resources and their lives with a clear conscience, as in the case of Irish plantations (p188) and the Rathlin Island massacre (192).
Haitians are another example of people considered inferior in the ruling hegemony. When they attempted to follow the pattern of the French Revolution, their efforts to resist their exploitation were viewed as an affront to the order of civilized society rather than a righting of historical wrongs. However, they also provide an example of the unifying hegemonic power of the concept of nation-state: a group of people identified and working together toward their own common good. The myth of "the people" allows this unification.
Patel and Moore often refer to the resistance of Indigenous Peoples to capitalism's world-ecology. In this chapter they point to the way that capitalism created the label of "Native" in response. They write, "This is the strategy of cheap lives in three words: 'define and rule.'"
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is a unique example of Indigenous Peoples organizing under the idea of a nation-state in order to maintain power over culture and resources. ANCSA is explicitly capitalism-oriented: the material assets of the people are governed and distributed by "corporations," in which individuals have "shares." It's a controversial structure: many see it as hastening the destruction of Indigenous senses of ecology. As with the situation in Bolivia that Patel and Moore refer to (p200) there are conflicting forces of reservation at work. In the meantime, however, Alaskan Indigenous Peoples maintain control of significant material resources
The idea of the "nation-state" is a central tool in the formation of capital and we discussed in class some of the ways in which the history between the market and the state have been arranged in various eras. If you are interested in the role of the nation-state, and its origin, I recommend an important book by Benedict Anderson called, "Imaginary Communities." In the initial pages, Anderson argues that it is less important to determine if the community of a Nation-State is true or false, but rather, how does it offer a "style of relationship" between individuals.
ReplyDeleteANCSA is a unique and important development in the relationship between the nation state and the indigenous populations of Alaska. In considering ANCSA, Anderson might ask what is the particular style of relationship between indigenous people and the Nation-State, or Exxon, or between indigenous communities and the land, or among indigenous communities themselves? It is also worth considering the style of relationship on the regional level--with the Alaskan State government--and on the national level--with the federal government.