Occupy Wall Street: The Game of Colonialism and Further Nationalism to be Decolonized From the “Left”
By Jessica Yee
The “OCCUPY WALL STREET” slogan has gone viral and international now. From the protests on the streets of WALL STREET in the name of “ending capitalism” – organizers, protestors, and activists have been encouraged to “occupy” different places that symbolize greed and power. There’s just one problem: THE UNITED STATES IS ALREADY BEING OCCUPIED. THIS IS INDIGENOUS LAND. And it’s been occupied for quite some time now.
I also need to mention that New York City is Haudenosaunee territory and home to many other First Nations. Waiting to see if that’s been mentioned anywhere. (Author’s note: Manhattan “proper” is home to to the Lenape who were defrauded of the island by the Dutch in 1626 – see more from Tequila Sovereign).
Not that I’m surprised that this was a misstep in organizing against Wall Street or really any organizing that happens when the “left” decides that it’s going to “take back America for the people” (which people?!). This is part of a much larger issue, and in fact there is so much nationalistic, patriotic language of imperialism wrapped up in these types of campaigns that it’s no wonder people can’t see the erasure of existence of the First Peoples of THIS territory that happens when we get all high and mighty with the pro-America agendas, and forget our OWN complicity and accountability to the way things are today – not just the corporations and the state.
Let me be clear. I’m not against ending capitalism and I’m not against people organizing to hold big corporations accountable for the extreme damage they are causing. Yes, we need to end globalization. What I am saying is that I have all kinds of problems when to get to “ending capitalism” we step on other people’s rights – and in this case erode Indigenous rights – to make the point. I’m not saying people did it intentionally but that doesn’t even matter – good intentions are not enough and good intentions obviously can have adverse affects. This is such a played out old record too, walking on other people’s backs to get to a mystical land of equity. Is it really just and equitable when specific people continue to be oppressed to get there? And it doesn’t have to be done! We don’t need more occupation – we need decolonization and it’s everyone’s responsibility to participate in that because COLONIALISM AFFECTS EVERYONE. EVERYONE! Colonialism also leads to capitalism, globalization, and industrialization. How can we truly end capitalism without ending colonialism? How does doing things in the name of “America” which was created by the imposition of hierarchies of class, race, ability, gender, and sexuality help that?
I can’t get on board with the nationalism of an “American” (or now “Canadian!”) revolution – I just can’t. There has been too much genocide and violence for the United States and Canada to be founded and to continue to exist as nation states. I think John Paul Montano, Anishnaabe writer captured it quite well in his “Open Letter to Occupy Wall Street Activists”:
I hope you would make mention of the fact that the very land upon which you are protesting does not belong to you – that you are guests upon that stolen indigenous land. I had hoped mention would be made of the indigenous nation whose land that is. I had hoped that you would address the centuries-long history that we indigenous peoples of this continent have endured being subject to the countless ‘-isms’ of do-gooders claiming to be building a “more just society,” a “better world,” a “land of freedom” on top of our indigenous societies, on our indigenous lands, while destroying and/or ignoring our ways of life. I had hoped that you would acknowledge that, since you are settlers on indigenous land, you need and want our indigenous consent to your building anything on our land – never mind an entire society.
I will leave you with this new art piece from Erin Konsmo (also pictured above), our fabulous intern at The Native Youth Sexual Health Network she created on “OCCUPY: THE GAME OF COLONIALISM”. Hopefully you get the picture now.
Similar Posts:
- Word On the Street: Occupy Wall Street and Race
- #Occupy Wall Street Stirs Up Radical Ideas in Indian Country
- Occupying Solidarity with Indigenous Rights
- NYC Today: Un-Settling Occupation
- Saturday Radical Culture: POCO! Podcast on #OccupyWallStreet
Very good peace here Jessica,
As the Minister of Information with Black Unity I agree with what you have stated 100%. We are at the dawn of a new reality here in America and we must not let those unknown forces occupy our place for liberation. It seems to me that the trick is in trying to use the same old game that the parents used to make us move their agenda at our loss!
Its about time the colonialist analysis is being put forward and exposing the opportunism of the so-called white left, this settler society was built on stolen land by stolen labor, genocide and slavery and there as been no genuine accountability, reparations or restitution. Colonialism is the major contradiction in the world today, the struggle of oppressed nations against oppressor nation, like the North American Settler Nation the USA!! The major white nationalist, capitalist, imperalist Nation in the Colonized world. People should be tuned in to UhuruNews.com website for more anti-colonialist analyst, programs and activities. Victory to the indigenous and colonized peoples of the world!!!!
I agree with this article and the other comments. I also want to add that these people on the white left always get inflamed when THEY start to suffer. I heard one white girl say that she was out there because SHE can’t find a job that she’s passionate about. Okay, white girl, what about all the African, Indigenous (which includes so-called “Hispanics”), and Asian peoples who have endured slave labor and low wage jobs since you all settled this land. You think we don’t have dreams and passions? You think we like working for someone else’s enrichment? And just as the article says, even with good intentions, as someone on the so-called left, who is out claiming to want to build another world, it is your responsibility to understand the fundamental contradictions embodied in colonialism!
Their disingenuous pleas for “People of Color” to join them are even more of a deterrent. They speak about “People of Color”, as if we are some monolithic group with no cultural or colonial nuances. As editors of this site, we use the term because we understand people’s lexicon, but our content is purposefully selected because we understand that colonized people have different realities, cultures, and while our colonial pasts have ended in the same result, we still had various colonial relationships.
Even more arrogantly, these people have not even considered that we don’t have time to spend days away from the low wage jobs we are forced to work in, as if we don’t have obligations to take care of our children (since the state is hell bent on cutting social programs). Most of these people are young, college kids who have been inculcated with the legitimacy of this country and do not have the suffering of colonized people as their primary agenda. Jessica is absolutely correct, an American revolution is nothing that colonized people can and should have any place in.
I am really glad to read a critical analysis of the current ‘Occupy Wall Street’ situation.
As I am based in Kaurna Country, Australia, trying to create an accurate picture of the situation is quite difficult. What is disappointing though is the borrowed rhetoric which ‘Occupations’ in Australia are taking on.
Wanting to start their own occupations in solidarity with the New York occupation, yet completely ignoring the fact that the Aboriginal Tent Embassy has been standing for 40 years come this January and is always in need of support. I understand that I have flaws, but it is this sort of behaviour which drives me to avoid many of these ‘left’ groups for their complete obliviousness and lack of acknowledgement of their own privileges.
Hi all:
Thank you Jessica for this insightful analysis and to everyone for your comments. I totally get your points and I think it’s so important to have these critical dialogues in order to achieve true justice for all. I agree that a large number of the wall street protesters are white, middle or upper-middle class, young privileged people and that is problematic. I agree that there are missing a number of messages and grievances that take into account the perspectives of those who have been the most marginalized in our society, including the Indigenous people.
That said, I also strongly believe that the only way we’ll get true justice for Indigenous people and for Mother Earth is through a mass, broad-based movement. As a womyn of color, I have been down to wall street during “the occupation” and I am incredibly inspired by what is happening there and around the world. The space is there for each of us to join this movement, using our voices to speak truths to the atrocities Indigenous peoples have and continue to experience. Those young white folks are not the “leaders” of this movement, each of us are the leaders, and the commitment to horizontal, direct democratic processes are clear in the general assembly meetings. The fact that there haven’t been any specific set of demands set out shows that it’s not about simply changing some laws or winning a campaign goal, but about transforming our culture so that we all have an equal voice in how our society operates.
Last night, we just formed a people of color working group to make “the occupation” more reflective of the 99% and have a space where the most marginalized people in our society have an active voice in this movement (POC, Indigenous, undocumented immigrants, low-wage workers, single mothers, incarcerated, transgendered…). I invite each of you to take part, and I commit to sharing many of the critiques raised in this discussion, especially recognizing that we are already on occupied land and the necessity to de-colonize this movement.
I caution against being dismissive of this movement because if we don’t act now, we will simply continue to see our people die due to colonialism. The space is there to make this occupy wall street movement our own–we are the ones we’ve been waiting for and the time is now.
Much love,
Prita
@antonio Do you really know what racism is?
I agree with Prita — while these may be legitimate points, they aren’t in any way legitimate points against the Occupy Wall Street movement. You seem to be shadowboxing; none of your criticisms actually apply to the protests. They’re very inclusive, and they’re very conscious. No, they don’t cater to minorities; the very point of these protests is that we are all united as a downtrodden majority. Yes, some people are more downtrodden than others, and that’s important, but it’s not what this is about. Yes, even if these protests achieved everything they want, there’d still be work to do in terms of native’s rights — but that’s no excuse to brush off the protests. I’m positive everyone there would agree with you, that ethnic minorities need to be paid more attention to, and I understand you want to be more focused on that than current financial troubles but that’s absolutely no reason to deny the legitimacy of the protests altogether, which I know you must agree are for VERY GOOD CAUSES, though they may not be your VERY FAVORITE causes.
I don’t know why you can’t accept that these are legitimate points regarding the way the Occupy Wallstreet movement is constructed: the way political movements are ideological veiled is important because they tend to produce a certain discourse of inclusion/exclusion. To simply argue that they are inclusive ignores the fact that this supposed inclusivity, in its language and the composition of the group itself, might often reproduce structures of exclusion. Nor should we have to read the criticism of this article as simply brushing off the protests: they seem more like a demand for a broader political understanding. To simply argue for a discourse of VERY GOOD CAUSES does not address the sentiment behind the critique.
I also don’t think that the desire to pay more attention to issues of colonialism and racism should be treated as a separate issue because I believe these things are bound up with capitalism. The minorities you don’t want to cater to are, though called “minorities”, the majority of the proletarian and under-proletarian, and simply stating that you’re positive everyone would at the protests would agree with this article feels like a dodge.
I agree that the wallstreet protest represents and important space but, if this is the case, then it is a space that requires agitation and representation for the politics represented in this article. Demanding a principled political position should not have to mean a brushing off of the protests, even if it results in a brushing off of some of the protestors and organizers top-down and simplistic political approaches.
I also think that the Ignite Collective’s critique of the wallstreet protest––of its clearly limited movementist approach that will draw boundaries that might possibly prevent any truly radical demands from developing––is probably the best critique I’ve read so far, especially relevant since some of its organizers were involved in the riots following Troy Davis’ execution when they marched up to wallstreet: http://ignite-revolution.org/2011/09/12/bring-forward-revolution/
At the end of the day, if there is no structural and revolutionary unity behind the wallstreet protestors’ actions/demands, it will fail to be important. The fact that this unity doesn’t yet exist proves that the protests aren’t even “very conscious”––considering that currently they dont seem to be conscious of anything but a very social democratic notion of reforming capitalism. These spectacles fizzle out once the fetishism of spontaneity disintegrates, and maybe this article by Yee, along with one I cited, might help to provide the critique necessary to make the politics behind the action more radical and sustainable. For when these protests end, as they surely will, and capitalism persists, as it also surely will (since it won’t fall from a tiny and confused protest), at the very least it is important to bring these types of principled politics to the people involved for future agitation.
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