Many people wonder why non-Indigenous environmental struggles often align with those of Indigenous comrades fighting against colonialism. These include the Shut Down Canada movement in 2019-2020 against the CGL pipeline on Wet'suwet'en territory, the #NoDAPL movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline, the protests against Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, and the ongoing struggle against the PRGT pipeline project on Gitxsan territory. It’s worth reflecting on the relevance, scope, and objectives of these struggles—not because we want to give up, but because a deeper understanding of why we’re fighting keeps us motivated and better equips us to respond to opponents. So, here are four arguments to help you hold your ground against your uncle at family dinners, have fun!
Non-Natives Benefit from the Colonial System
As non-Indigenous people, we benefit from the current system, which has been, and continues to be, enriched by the colonization and exploitation of Indigenous populations and territories. This explains, in part, the economic disparities that still exist today between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. We, therefore, have a responsibility to act against this system of oppression from which we derive privileges, whether we acknowledge it or not. Oppressed and marginalized populations should not have to bear the burden of their collective liberation alone.
As Eve Tuck and Wayne Yang assert in their paper Decolonization is Not a Metaphor, acknowledging colonial oppression is not enough. To avoid falling into the trap of “white innocence,” it is crucial to actively combat colonialism while informing and educating ourselves about the issue. As privileged members of the colonial system, settlers on Turtle Island should contribute to the anti-colonial struggle to the best of their ability. Given that their privileges provide access to greater resources than those available to communities oppressed by the colonial state, these additional resources could be redirected towards supporting anti-colonial resistance movements.
Moreover, collective liberation depends on the dismantling of all systems of oppression. In other words, white people will not be free as long as their Indigenous comrades are repressed. Similarly, white women will not be liberated from the yoke of patriarchy as long as misogynoir persists. The destruction of capitalism will not automatically bring an end to colonialism, and vice versa. In short, the liberation of all is intertwined with the liberation of each individual.
The State is a Common Enemy
Not only will Indigenous and non-Indigenous people not achieve liberation without each other, but they are also fighting a common enemy. The Canadian colonial state is problematic not only for Indigenous peoples but for non-Indigenous people as well.
When we speak of the nation-state, we are referring to a colonial structure built on an economic system—capitalism—that is characterized by a growing wealth gap between the richest and the poorest. While some believe that a strong state is the only thing capable of protecting us from big business, we have seen, as exemplified in the Northvolt case, how the political class is, in fact, subservient to large corporations. This is the very logic of the capitalist State: for the system to appear functional, it must sustain economic growth. To achieve this, the State facilitates growth by courting investment from the world’s billionaires. However, capital only invests where it can make a profit—where union culture is weak, where minorities are oppressed and desperate for work, and where injustice is the law.
Indigenous communities, in turn, have suffered the violence of the state and capital in distinct ways, as shown in the many articles discussed earlier. While the relentless thirst for profit by the State and capital destroys the lives of non-Indigenous people in a manner different from that of Indigenous people, the source of their resistance remains the same. Our movements have much to gain by amplifying their voices, as we share a common enemy. Land back initiatives, in essence, are about reclaiming land from the control of the Canadian state. This is why anti-colonial mobilizations present incredible opportunities for building alliances against both the State and big business.
The state oppresses both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. It is also the enemy of anti-colonial, anti-authoritarian, anti-oppressive, and anti-capitalist activists. An alliance and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists against this common enemy—the oppressive capitalist colonial State—would significantly enhance our collective capacity to resist.
However, non-Indigenous accomplices must pay particular attention to both interpersonal and collective dynamics within this type of alliance. There are three key points to consider regarding these anti-colonial struggles:
Firstly, it must be recognized that the communities involved in the struggle should determine the parameters and forms of action. This does not limit non-Indigenous activists: they can still target mining and oil companies, as well as Hydro-Québec and the Quebec state, for their roles in exploitation. It is important not to claim anti-colonial solidarity if such mobilizations have not been specifically called for.
The second observation builds on the first: as non-Indigenous, we must reflect on how our presence influences and transforms these struggles, ensuring that this influence does not reproduce colonial dynamics. In other words, non-Indigenous people must not position themselves as saviours; Indigenous communities do not need saving. An anti-colonial movement that is appropriated, co-opted, and led by colonialists is merely a reproduction of colonialism within the resistance itself.
Thirdly, it is essential to establish and maintain reciprocal relationships between non-Indigenous and Indigenous activists, ensuring that we give more than we take in these relationships.
Indigenous Activists Have a Rich History of Anti-Colonial Resistance
Since the arrival of Europeans, Indigenous peoples have been systematically targeted by colonial extractivism. As a result, they have a clear understanding of the profound injustice and unsustainability of colonial capitalism and its connection to the climate crisis. Given their history of resistance against the colonial state, Indigenous communities also possess significant experience and strategies for fighting the system. It is therefore important to draw inspiration from them, collaborate with them, and/or support their efforts. By building these bridges, we can strengthen the bonds between Indigenous and non-Indigenous activist communities, sharing tactics and legal strategies to enrich and co-construct our knowledge. This collaboration will also pave the way for future alliances, ultimately increasing our collective capacity for struggle.
Indigenous communities are among the most mobilized in so-called Canada. They are already organizing blockades, running information campaigns, and building alliances. There is little to be gained collectively if NGOs (such as Greenpeace, David Suzuki, etc.), which often work hand-in-hand with multinationals and politicians, take over these struggles. It is more beneficial for people to develop their own capacity to resist big business and colonial authority by learning community organizing practices.
The aim here would not be to copy or follow the orientations of Indigenous struggles as they are, but to listen to and take note of their political choices in order to benefit from their knowledge and experience. Indeed, to submit uncritically to the decisions of Indigenous people simply because they are Indigenous is a form of essentialization that reproduces colonial dynamics. Such behaviour would reduce Indigenous activists to their identity, instead of considering them as people in their own right, with agency and critical reflexivity. Drawing inspiration from Indigenous activists solely because they are Indigenous would imply that, apart from their ethnicity, they have nothing to contribute to the movement, which is excessively paternalistic and colonial. On the contrary, we would benefit from taking into account the point of view of Indigenous activists, given the knowledge and skills their communities have acquired through their particular experiences.
You Can't Destroy the Colonial Capitalist System with the Same Tools That Created It!
Finally, there is a stark contrast between the actions of European colonizing nation-states on Turtle Island, which, in just a few hundred years, have brought us to the brink of ecological and climatic collapse, and the Indigenous communities here and elsewhere on Mother Earth, who have developed powerful, inspiring, and time-tested relationships with Land and water. The imperialist capitalist system of nation-states, as imposed by Western colonial forces, can only lead to the outright destruction of ecosystems and people. Alternatives to the current multiple crises must emerge from outside the existing structures, exploiting the interstices and breaches in the system. We need to bring another world into being to render the old structures obsolete and replace them.
“We cannot solve the climate crisis using the same industry-driven infrastructures and concepts that created it in the first place. The systems and ideas that led us to this point are incapable of providing the solutions we need. True progress requires a transition to Indigenous-led approaches and a decolonized perspective, recognizing that Indigenous knowledge and stewardship are essential to restoring balance and achieving real climate justice.” These words are from Onagoshi-Lila Haymond, paraphrasing her Indigenous Climate Action colleague Carole Monture.