Speaking for the People: Native Writing and the Question of Political Form

Mark Rifkin's book Speaking for the People examines nineteenth-century Native writings to reframe contemporary debates around Indigenous recognition, refusal, and resurgence. He argues that these writers illustrate the intellectual labor involved in representing modes of Indigenous political identity and placemaking, highlighting the complex processes involved in negotiating Indigenous sovereignties under ongoing colonial occupation. By attending to their engagements with non-native publics, Rifkin provides further analytical tools for addressing the complexities of Indigenous governance on the ground. Thinking about Native peoplehood and politics as a matter of form opens possibilities for addressing the difficult work involved in navigating among varied possibilities for conceptualizing and enacting peoplehood in the context of continuing settler intervention.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 320 pages
\n Publication date: 29 August 2021
\n Publisher: Duke University Press
\n

In his groundbreaking work, "Speaking for the People," Mark Rifkin delves into nineteenth-century Native writings to reimagine contemporary discussions surrounding Indigenous recognition, refusal, and resurgence. Through a meticulous examination of the works of Native authors such as William Apess, Elias Boudinot, Sarah Winnemucca, and Zitkala-Ša, Rifkin unveils the profound intellectual labor involved in representing modes of Indigenous political identity and placemaking. These writers illuminate the intricate processes involved in negotiating the character, contours, and scope of Indigenous sovereignties under the ongoing colonial occupation. Rifkin's central argument is that by engaging with these writers' interactions with non-native publics, we gain valuable analytical tools for understanding the complexities of Indigenous governance on the ground, both in the past and in the present.

By approaching Native peoplehood and politics as a matter of form, Rifkin opens up possibilities for addressing the challenging task of navigating among diverse possibilities for conceptualizing and enacting peoplehood in the context of ongoing settler intervention. As Rifkin meticulously demonstrates, attentively studying the writings of these Indigenous intellectuals offers insights into Native governance as a process of deliberation, discussion, and debate, emphasizing the open-ended and unfinished nature of self-determination.

Through his profound analysis, Rifkin invites us to reexamine our understanding of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination. He challenges us to consider the ways in which colonialism has shaped and constrained Indigenous political identities, and he offers alternative frameworks for understanding and reclaiming Indigenous sovereignties. "Speaking for the People" is a seminal work that contributes to our ongoing dialogue about Indigenous rights, justice, and the pursuit of a more inclusive and equitable world.

\n Weight: 544g\n
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 22 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781478014331\n \n