Short Abstract:

Indigenous peoples around the world are engaged in, among others, various forms of physical, discursive, political and economic movement. This panel will interrogate Indigenous mobility and the role of anthropologists play in it across a host of vectors.

Long Abstract:

Indigenous peoples around the world are engaged in, among others, various forms of physical, discursive, political and economic movement. They are also involved in resisting constructions of their mobility as a political-economic problem by various state and corporate actors. Settlers around the world, uncomfortable with these contexts and actions, attempt to re-frame, recalibrate and block this resistance. Anthropologists continue to play a role in understanding, translating, collaborating and building relationships with Indigenous movements while sometimes being criticized for this work by Indigenous peoples. This panel will interrogate Indigenous mobility and the role of anthropologists play in it across a host of vectors. For example, what anti-racist projects are enacted to confront Settler resistance to Indigenous mobility? How are movement discourses of recognition, reconciliation and healing etc. being furthered and/or contested? How is consultation being mobilized in treaty negotiations and/or other Indigenous/state/corporate contexts? What Indigenous protests are mobilized to confront dissatisfactions, oppressions and securitizations? How is how the new mobility of Indigenous peoples disrupting racism, multiculturalism, nation building and normalizing discourses? How are forms of media used by Indigenous peoples, Settlers and anthropologists to advocate for and/or against the above movements? How is Indigenous knowledge changing medical praxis and resource extraction regimes? How are anthropologists seen as allies or as hindrances in these movements and resistances? This panel will consider other views on movement, Indigenous peoples and anthropologists.