Taiaiake Alfred

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

Groundswell is a collection of stirring and passionate essays from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers that eloquently present a compelling message about how traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices can and must be used to address climate change. The chapters interconnect, taking us from radical thinking to the gentleness of breath, and demonstrate that we are all in this together—everyone must understand what needs to be accomplished and participate in the care of Mother Earth.

Authors tap into religious and spiritual perspectives, explore the wisdom of youth, and share the insights of a nature-based philosophy. These collective writings give you a chance to contemplate and formulate your own direction. A moral revolution that can produce a groundswell of momentum toward a diverse society based on human rights, Indigenous rights, and the rights of Mother Earth.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs, Groundswell is augmented with video recordings from the authors and a short documentary film, available on the project’s website. Profits from the book will help support the videos, documentary, and future projects of The Call to Action for Climate Change. Visit www.envisionthebigpicture.com.

Reviews
"A beautifully illustrated and highly engaging read.… Essays from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors present a strong vision for how traditional knowledge can be used to fight climate change, as well as how we can work together toward a more balanced and harmonious relationship with nature." – Joan Elliott, librarian and Manager of Stewart Resources Centre 

“This book shares Indigenous knowledge that can teach us to listen to and be in relationship to the Earth in a way that honours the sacredness and interdependence of all life forms. A paradigm shift, informed by Indigenous ways of knowing and acting, is crucial in this time of climate change.” – Laura Stivers, author of Disrupting Homelessness: Alternative Christian Approaches 

“A powerful text that introduces a much-needed perspective on the issue of climate change.… When reading the chapter ‘Rooted: Staying Grounded Amidst a Changing Landscape’ by Nicole Neidhardt, Teka Everstz, and Gina Mowatt, I was moved by the presence of youth voices. As a young, Indigenous person myself, I felt a great power, understanding, and nuance to the voices emerging in the chapter.… Nicole Neidhardt, Teka Everstz, and Gina Mowatt asked for more than a challenge of the reader’s ideology—they screamed out for a call to action." – Forrest Goodluck, award-winning youth filmmaker who appears opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant 

“The reflections of three young Indigenous activists (‘Rooted: Staying Grounded Amidst a Changing Landscape’) … are sharp, buoyant reminders of elation and advocacy in a world of overwhelming and seemingly unlimited power: colonialism, imperialism, and industrial capitalism. These narratives bring me moral conviction and faith as we all walk hand-in-hand into our carbon wrought future.” – Kalen Goodluck, freelance documentary photographer and journalist 

Educator Information 

Recommended Resource for Grades 11-12 and College/University Students.

Social Studies/B.C. First Peoples/Comparative Cultures/Contemporary Indigenous Studies Curricular Concepts Explored in the Text:

• Interactions between cultures and the natural environment.
• The role of value systems and belief systems in the development of cultures.
• Varied identities and worldviews of Indigenous peoples, and the importance of the interconnection of family, relationships, language, culture, and the land.
• Factors that sustain and challenge the identities and worldviews of Indigenous peoples.

Science/Environmental Science Curricular Concepts Explored in the Text:

• First Peoples knowledge and other traditional ecological knowledge in sustaining biodiversity.
• Human actions and their impact on ecosystem integrity.
• First Peoples ways of knowing and doing.
• Resource stewardship.

English/English First Peoples Curricular Concepts Explored in the Text: 

• First Peoples languages and texts reflect their cultures, knowledge, histories, and worldviews.
• Critically, creatively, and reflectively explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts.
• Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world.
• The diversity within and across First Peoples societies as represented in texts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface Invocation: Using Contemplative Meditation to Foster Change 
Introduction: This Is the Moral Revolution
Climate Change Snapshots by Kristen Dey 
Rooted: Staying Grounded Amidst a Changing Landscape by Nicole Neidhardt, Teka Everstz, and Gina Mowatt 
What You Need to Know Is Not in a Book: Indigenous Education by Larry Emerson 
Illuminating the Path Forward by Erin Brillon 
Stories from Our Elders by Andy Everson 
Religions for the Earth by Karenna Gore 
How We Can Work Together by Merle Lefkoff 
Essential Elements of Change by Mary Hasbah Roessel 
The Radical Vision of Indigenous Resurgence by Taiaiake Alfred 
Sharing the Wealth: Bending Toward Justice by Rod Dobell 
The Commonwealth of Breath by David Abram 
Science, Spirituality, Justice by Larry Rasmussen 
The Moral Revolution, Weaving All the Parts by Joe Neidhardt
Acknowledgements 
Further References 
Further Readings 
Contributors

Contributors: David Abram, Taiaiake Alfred, Erin Brillon, Kristen Dey, Rod Dobell, Larry Emerson, Andy Everson, Teka Everstz, Karenna Gore, Merle Lefkoff, Gina Mowatt, Joe Neidhardt, Nicole Neidhardt, Larry Rasmussen, Mary Hasbah Roessel.

Additional Information
208 Pages | 8.5" x 9" | ISBN: 9781771743440 | Hardcover