As We Have Always Done

1. Indigenous Brilliance: Resurgence from Within

Our presence is our weapon, and this is visible to me at every protest, every mobilization, every time a Two Spirit person gifts us with a dance at our powwows, every time we speak our truths, every time we embody Indigenous life.

Nishnaabeg intelligence. The core of Indigenous resurgence lies in the brilliance and complexity of Indigenous thought systems, continually generated in relationship to place. This intelligence is not just intellectual but also emotional, spiritual, and physical, and it is the foundation for creating ethical, sustainable Indigenous worlds.

Elders as teachers. The author's experience with elders at Long Lake #58 revealed the depth of Nishnaabeg thought, theory, and methodology, emphasizing that Indigenous knowledge is not just about survival but about creating life-affirming systems. This experience highlighted the importance of centering Indigenous intelligence in all aspects of life, including research and community work.

Biiskabiyang and flight. The concept of biiskabiyang, returning to ourselves, is a process of decolonization and resurgence, a flight from colonial structures into the freedom and self-determination encoded within Indigenous ways of being. This flight is not just physical but also cognitive, emotional, and spiritual, and it is a continuous act of resistance and world-making.

2. Kwe as Method: Embodied Knowledge and Refusal

This is kwe as method generating kwe as theorist, as we have always done.

Kwe as a lens. The author's life as a kwe (Nishnaabeg woman) within Nishnaabewin is not just a personal experience but a method for generating knowledge and theory. This approach centers embodied knowledge, emotional responses, and lived experiences as valid forms of intellectual inquiry.

Refusal as a practice. Kwe as method is also about refusal—refusing colonial domination, heteropatriarchy, and the constraints of whiteness and the academy. This refusal is not just a rejection but a generative act, creating space for alternative Indigenous ways of being and knowing.

Nishnaabeg intellectual practices. This book is generated from within Nishnaabeg intellectual practices, including story, language, ceremony, and land-based activities. These practices are not just cultural expressions but also methods for generating knowledge, theory, and political action.

3. Dispossession: Beyond Land to Bodies and Spirits

Dispossession for kwe is not just about the removal of my body from the land. It is the removal of my body from Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg intelligence or grounded normativity, and then the attempted destruction of grounded normativity itself.

Expansive dispossession. Dispossession is not just about land theft but also the removal of Indigenous bodies, minds, and spirits from their connection to land, culture, and knowledge systems. This includes the targeting of Indigenous women, children, and 2SQ people, whose bodies represent alternative political orders.

Colonialism as a process. Colonialism is not a historical event but an ongoing structure maintained through a series of processes designed to dispossess Indigenous peoples. These processes include land theft, assimilation, and the erasure of Indigenous bodies and cultures.

Reattachment as resurgence. The opposite of dispossession is not possession but deep, reciprocal, consensual attachment to land and grounded normativity. Resurgence requires the reattachment of Indigenous bodies, minds, and spirits to the networks of relationships and ethical practices that make up Indigenous ways of being.

4. Nishnaabeg Internationalism: Rooted and Global

Indigenous peoples have always been theoretical people. We’ve always thought in complex ways about the nature of our worlds. We’ve always sought out explanations and deeper meanings.

Nanabush's journeys. Nishnaabeg internationalism is rooted in the story of Nanabush, who traveled the world to understand their place in it and to create relationships with other nations and beings. This story emphasizes the importance of global interconnectedness and reciprocal relationships.

Grounded normativity. Indigenous internationalism is not just about relationships between peoples but also with the land, plants, animals, and the spiritual world. It is rooted in place-based practices and ethical frameworks that guide interactions with all aspects of creation.

Ethical engagement. Engaging with other theoretical traditions requires a critical approach that centers Indigenous thought and asks questions about the origins, context, and implications of those theories. This process ensures that Indigenous knowledge systems remain at the core of our intellectual practices.

5. Anticapitalism: Indigenous Economies of Reciprocity

Colonialism and capitalism are based on extracting and assimilating. My land is seen as a resource. My relatives in the plant and animal worlds are seen as resources. My culture and knowledge is a resource. My body is a resource and my children are a resource.

Extractivism and dispossession. Capitalism and colonialism are based on extractivism, which commodifies land, bodies, and knowledge as resources for exploitation. This process removes the relationships that give these things meaning and value.

Nishnaabeg economies. Nishnaabeg economies are based on reciprocity, respect, and responsibility, not on the accumulation of capital. They are designed to promote life, not just human life but the life of all living things.

Alternatives to capitalism. Indigenous peoples have always lived outside of capitalism and have developed sustainable, ethical, and life-affirming ways of organizing their societies. Resurgence requires a return to these practices and a rejection of the exploitative logic of capitalism.

6. Heteropatriarchy: Dismantling Colonial Gender Violence

Gender violence and the destruction of Indigenous families are the fundamental dividing and dispossessional issues of our times. Resurgence will not survive, exist, or be useful if it continues to replicate the violence against children, women, and 2SQ people.

Heteropatriarchy as a tool of dispossession. Heteropatriarchy is a foundational violence and dispossessing force used by the state to control Indigenous bodies and erase alternative political orders. It is a direct attack on Indigenous self-determination and freedom.

Gender violence as a systemic issue. Gender violence is not just an individual problem but a systemic issue rooted in the structures of settler colonialism. It is a mechanism for maintaining dispossession and destroying Indigenous families and communities.

Centering gender in resurgence. Resurgence must be concerned with the reattachment of our minds, bodies, and spirits to the network of relationships and ethical practices that generates grounded normativity. It must also be concerned with the dismantling of heteropatriarchy and the creation of communities where all genders are valued and respected.

7. Body Sovereignty: Reclaiming Indigenous Political Orders

Indigenous bodies, particularly the bodies of 2SQ people, children, and women, represented the lived alternative to heteronormative constructions of gender, political systems, and rules of descent.

Bodies as political orders. Indigenous bodies, particularly those of women, children, and 2SQ people, are not just physical entities but also political orders that embody alternative ways of being and organizing society. They represent a threat to colonial power and are therefore targeted for violence and erasure.

Colonial control of bodies. Colonialism seeks to control Indigenous bodies through the regulation of sexuality, gender, and intimate relationships. This control is a mechanism for maintaining dispossession and destroying Indigenous families and communities.

Reclaiming body sovereignty. Resurgence requires the reclamation of Indigenous body sovereignty, which means the right to self-determination over our bodies, minds, and spirits. This includes the right to define our own genders, sexualities, and relationships outside of colonial norms.

8. Queer Normativity: Indigenous Freedom and Fluidity

I am interested in all the ways the Nishnaabeg refuse colonial authority, domination, and heteropatriarchy throughout time while generating Nishnaabewin.

Queerness as a norm. Within Nishnaabewin, queerness is not an aberration but a normal and valued part of the spectrum of human experience. Indigenous societies have always recognized and celebrated gender variance and diverse sexualities.

Colonial imposition of the gender binary. The rigid gender binary is a colonial imposition that seeks to control and regulate Indigenous bodies and relationships. It is a tool of dispossession that erases Indigenous forms of gender fluidity and sexual expression.

Reclaiming queer Indigeneity. Resurgence requires the reclamation of queer Indigeneity as a vital expression of Indigenous intelligence and freedom. This includes the creation of communities where all genders and sexualities are valued, respected, and celebrated.

9. Land as Pedagogy: Learning from Aki

The alternative to extractivism is deep reciprocity. It’s respect, it’s relationship, it’s responsibility, and it’s local.

Land as teacher. Land is not just a resource but a teacher, a source of knowledge, and a guide for living. Indigenous education must be rooted in the land and in the practices and relationships that connect us to it.

Nishnaabeg ways of knowing. Nishnaabeg ways of knowing are based on observation, experimentation, reflection, and relationship. They are embodied practices that integrate intellectual, emotional, and spiritual knowledge.

Reclaiming Indigenous education. Resurgence requires the creation of educational systems that center Indigenous knowledge, values, and practices. This includes the rejection of colonial models of education and the creation of learning environments that foster self-determination and connection to land.

10. Reciprocal Recognition: Seeing Each Other's Light

The intention of the structure of colonialism is to dispossess. We cannot allow our processes, our emotions, or our intelligence to be co-opted and processed into the structure that is at the root of all of our problems, even if at the outset these processes appear to be kinder and gentler than those we have experienced in the past.

Beyond state recognition. Indigenous peoples must stop seeking recognition from the state and instead focus on building relationships of reciprocal recognition within our own communities and nations. This means seeing and valuing each other's unique gifts and contributions.

Aaniin as a practice. The Nishnaabeg greeting Aaniin is not just a hello but a practice of seeing and acknowledging the essence of another being. It is a way of building relationships based on respect, empathy, and love.

Self-recognition as a foundation. Indigenous self-recognition is a powerful act of resistance and resurgence. It is a way of reclaiming our identities and our power from the forces of colonialism.

11. Embodied Practice: Coded Disruption and Flight

I am interested in all the ways the Nishnaabeg refuse colonial authority, domination, and heteropatriarchy throughout time while generating Nishnaabewin.

Everyday acts of resurgence. Resurgence is not just a political project but also a daily practice of living in accordance with Indigenous values and principles. This includes acts of resistance, creativity, and connection to land and community.

Coded disruption. Indigenous artists and activists use coded language, imagery, and practices to disrupt colonial narratives and create spaces for Indigenous self-determination. These codes are often opaque to outsiders but deeply meaningful to those within the community.

Embodied flight. Resurgence is a form of flight, a movement away from colonial structures and toward Indigenous ways of being. This flight is not just physical but also spiritual, emotional, and intellectual, and it is a continuous act of resistance and world-making.

12. Constellations of Coresistance: Building a Movement

This vision for a present has the potential to create Nishnaabeg futures that categorically refuse and reject dispossession and settler colonialism and the violence of capitalism, heteropatriarchy, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness that maintains them.

Beyond individual action. Resurgence requires collective action and the formation of networks of coresistance. These networks are based on shared values, goals, and a commitment to dismantling colonial structures.

Constellations as organizing structures. Constellations are not just collections of individuals but also networks of relationships that are based on mutual respect, reciprocity, and a shared vision for the future. They are a way of organizing that is both decentralized and interconnected.

Indigenous-led mobilization. Resurgent mobilization must be rooted in Indigenous thought and practice. It must be led by Indigenous peoples and must be focused on the creation of Indigenous alternatives to colonial systems.

Last updated: January 30, 2025