Policing Indigenous Movements: Dissent and the Security State

Indigenous peoples in Canada have led high-profile movements for social and environmental justice, but their success has led to increased surveillance and policing. Crosby and Monaghan's book "Policing Indigenous Movements" uses the Access to Information Act to examine how policing and other security agencies have been monitoring, cataloguing, and working to silence Indigenous land defenders and opponents of extractive capitalism. It raises critical questions about the expansion of the security apparatus, the normalization of police surveillance targeting social movements, the relationship between police and energy corporations, the criminalization of dissent, and threats to civil liberties and collective action in an era of extractive capitalism and hyper-surveillance.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2018
Publisher: Fernwood Publishing Co Ltd

In recent years, Indigenous peoples in Canada have taken up prominent roles in advocating for social and environmental justice. Their efforts have garnered significant attention and led to a national dialogue on issues such as land disputes, resource extraction, pipeline development, and fracking. These land and water defenders have successfully slowed down the rate of resource extraction through their activism. However, their success has also resulted in increased surveillance and policing of Indigenous communities and their movements.

In their book "Policing Indigenous Movements," Crosby and Monaghan utilize the Access to Information Act to examine how policing and other security agencies have been monitoring, cataloging, and attempting to silence Indigenous land defenders and other opponents of extractive capitalism. Through a comprehensive analysis of four prominent movements, including the long-standing conflict involving the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, the struggle against the Northern Gateway Pipeline, the Idle No More movement, and the anti-fracking protests surrounding the Elsipogtog First Nation, this important work raises critical questions regarding the expansion of the security apparatus, the normalization of police surveillance targeting social movements, the relationship between police and energy corporations, the criminalization of dissent, and threats to civil liberties and collective action in an era of extractive capitalism and hyper surveillance.

One of the most comprehensive accounts of contemporary government surveillance, the authors vividly demonstrate that it is the norms of settler colonialism that classify these movements as national security threats. Moreover, they highlight the growing network of policing, governmental, and private agencies that constitute what they refer to as the security state.

The book also sheds light on the experiences of Indigenous women and girls, who are often marginalized and targeted by state-sanctioned violence. It highlights the need for greater recognition and protection of their rights and the importance of supporting their leadership in the fight for justice.

Overall, "Policing Indigenous Movements" is a powerful and essential read for anyone interested in understanding the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the broader global context of extractive capitalism and state surveillance. It provides a critical analysis of the policies and practices that perpetuate inequality and injustice and offers concrete recommendations for change.

Weight: 326g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781773630120