Feb 15th, Speaker Nisha Toomey -U of T, OISE: Sticky Settler Colonialism
Sticky Settler Colonialism: From Asia to Turtle Island
When: Monday, February 15th – 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Audience: Student, Staff, faculty
What is settler colonialism, and why does it “stick” as a logic and set of practices?
Nisha Toomey’s research in Myanmar examines how the theft of land there is inherited from settler colonial practices, which were learned from the British colonial era but persist in Myanmar’s postcolonial government. She considers how even in places that are not “settler colonial,” relationships to land continue to be governed in ways that are settler colonial.
Starting in Myanmar and relating the context there outwards to other parts of the world, especially North America, Toomey discuss the phenomenon of the “global land rush” and its relationship to private property, colonialism and white supremacy. She contrasts the phenomenon of the global land rush with major Indigenous sovereignty movements happening across the globe, and examine implications for climate change, food and water security. Additionally, Toomey will explore the codependent relationship between capitalism, private property and white supremacy, as well as how Indigenous theories of land and place can help us re-imagine our relationships to land, modern nation-states, and one another.
This workshop follows an accessible, interactive style and includes multiple mediums. Participants will leave with concrete resources–further readings, podcasts, websites and videos – that help address these topics in their courses.
