Ann Rogers

Illuminating the First Nations struggles against the Canadian state, It’s All about the Land exposes how racism underpins and shapes Indigenous-settler relationships. Renowned Kahnawà:ke Mohawk activist and scholar Taiaiake Alfred explains how the Canadian government’s reconciliation agenda is a new form of colonization that is also guaranteed to fail.

Bringing together Alfred’s speeches and interviews from over the past two decades, the book shows that Indigenous peoples across the world face a stark choice: reconnect with their authentic cultures and values or continue following a slow road to annihilation. Alfred proposes a radical vision for contesting and confronting the ongoing genocide of the original peoples of this land: Indigenous Resurgence. This way of thinking, being, and practising represents an authentic politics that roots resistance in the spirit, knowledge, and laws of the ancestors.

Set against the historic arc of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada and drawing on the rich heritage of First Nations resistance movements, It’s All about the Land traces the evolution of Indigenous struggle and liberation through the dynamic processes of oratory, dialogue, action, and reflection.

Reviews
"It is Taiaiake’s call to face the uncomfortable truths of colonization and the impacts it has had on our Nations, families, and individuals that makes his work stand out. As his work is such a challenge to the current unjust status quo, it has been both embraced and rejected. This is a clear sign that he is on to something" — Pam Palmater, from the Foreword

“It’s All About the Land is a long-awaited, vital contribution and is an essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the injustices Native people live under and what we should be doing about it.” — Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke

“Taiaiake Alfred is a thought shifter who builds fires with his words. Anyone who cares about Indigenous issues and craves to be jolted into action should read this book -- a real counter narrative to the status quo.” — Chelsey Luger, Lakota and Anishinaabe, author of The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“It’s All About the Land takes mainstream assumptions about reconciliation as seen and processed through a colonial filter and turns them on their head. Insightful, informative, and deeply thoughtful, this book will have you thinking differently about decolonization and what reconciliation really stands for. Ultimately, it asks all of us to do and be more.” — Toula Drimonis, writer, columnist, and author of We, the Others: Allophones, Immigrants, and Belonging in Canada

“Some may be surprised, given my position and our respective philosophical world views, that I count Taiaiake as a friend, but his work forces me to scrutinize and constantly question my actions and those of my government so as not to reproduce the horrific social experiment that has devastated Indigenous peoples.” — The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations  

Educator Information
This book challenges conventional thinking about reconciliation. Renowned Kahnawà:ke Mohawk activist and scholar Taiaiake Alfred argues that reconciliation is another form of colonization and instead proposes Indigenous Resurgence as a radical vision for contesting and confronting the continuing genocide of the Original Peoples. 

Contents
Foreword: The Battle to Decolonize Ourselves Inside and Out
Pamela Palmater

Introduction
Ann Rogers

Wasáse Redux
June 2005, TV Ontario

From Noble Savage to Righteous Warrior
March 6, 2010, Vancouver, BC

The Psychic Landscape of Contemporary Colonialism
November 9, 2011, Ottawa

Practical Decolonization 
April 9, 2012, Kingston, ON

Warrior Scholarship
March 18, 2013, Victoria, BC

Constitutional Recognition and Colonial Doublespeak
November 27, 2013, Melbourne, Australia

On Being and Becoming Indigenous
November 28, 2013, Melbourne, Australia

Reconciliation as Recolonization
September 20, 2016, Montreal, QC

From Red Power to Resurgence
November 2, 2018, Vancouver, BC

Rebuilding the Fire: In Conversation with Pamela Palmater
July 5, 2019, Warrior Life Podcast

Ronón:kwe
January 19, 2021, The Mythic Masculine Podcast

Rooted Responsibility
March 2021, Victoria, BC

You Can’t Decolonize Colonization
September 16, 2022, The Decolonized Buffalo Podcast

Afterword: Wa'tkwanonhwerá:ton
Taiaiake Alfred

Bonus Track: The Four Intuitions
April 20, 2003, TV Ontario

A Note on the Sources 
Index

Additional Information
304 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | 11 b&w illustrations | Paperback