Decolonizing Solidarity

A revised and updated edition of the ground-breaking work that became an essential read for non-Indigenous scholars and activists seeking solidarity with Indigenous struggles across the world In this updated and revised version of the much-needed book, Clare Land, Gary Foley, Robbie Thorpe, and Sunil Menon interrogate the often-fraught endeavours of activists from colonial backgrounds seeking to be politically supportive of Indigenous struggles. Blending key theoretical and practical questions, they argue that the predominant impulses which drive middle-class settler activists to support Indigenous people cannot lead to successful alliances and meaningful social change unless they are significantly transformed through a process of both public political action and critical self-reflection. Throughout this new edition, the politics of solidarity by people of colour are more specifically addressed, aided by newly recorded interviews with a range of activists. A new preface includes reflections on now widely circulating notions of privilege, allyship and decolonization, as well as the book’s own authorship. Newly added reflection questions and guidelines for book clubs enable further and deeper insights into how to apply the ideas within Decolonizing Solidarity in different contexts. Based on a wealth of in-depth, original research, and focusing in particular on Australia, where – despite strident challenges – the vestiges of British law and cultural power have restrained the nation’s emergence out of colonizing dynamics, this book provides a vital resource for those involved in Indigenous activism and scholarship.