The Laws and the Land: The Settler Colonial Invasion of Kahnawa:ke in Nineteenth-Century Canada

Settlers in Canada displaced Indigenous people and weakened their sovereignty by invading Kahnawà:ke, a Kanienkehá:ka community. This book explores the establishment of a settler colonial relationship, land practices, colonial invasions, and the Canadian invasion. It connects to broader issues of human-environment relations, legal pluralism, historical racism, and Indigenous resurgence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 04 February 2022
Publisher: University of British Columbia Press

As Canada's settler state expanded into Indigenous territories, settlers forcibly displaced Indigenous people and eroded their sovereignty as nations. One such site of invasion was Kahnawà:ke, a Kanienkehá:ka community and part of the Rotinonhsiónni confederacy.

The Laws and the Land provides a comprehensive account of the establishment of a settler colonial relationship from early contact ways of sharing land, land practices under Kahnawà:ke law, the establishment of modern Kahnawà:ke in the context of French imperial claims, the intensification of colonial invasions under British rule, and ultimately the Canadian invasion in the guise of the Indian Act, private property, and coercive pressure to assimilate. Daniel Rück's book delves into the invasion, which was spearheaded by bureaucrats, Indian agents, politicians, surveyors, and entrepreneurs. This original and meticulously researched work is deeply connected to broader issues of human relations with environments, communal and individual ways of relating to land, legal pluralism, historical racism and inequality, and Indigenous resurgence.

The book explores the historical context of Kahnawà:ke, including its land-sharing practices, legal system, and relationship with the French and British empires. It highlights the devastating impact of colonialism on Kahnawà:ke, including the loss of land, resources, and cultural practices. Rück also examines the legal struggles of Kahnawà:ke to reclaim their land and assert their sovereignty, including the landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision in the 1990s.

The book also explores the broader implications of Kahnawà:ke's invasion for Indigenous peoples and communities across Canada. It highlights the ongoing struggles for land rights, self-determination, and cultural preservation and the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples in the face of colonialism.

The Laws and the Land is a valuable contribution to the field of Indigenous studies and history. It provides a detailed and nuanced account of Kahnawà:ke's invasion and its impact on Indigenous peoples and communities. It also raises important questions about the ongoing legacy of colonialism and the need for reconciliation and decolonization.

Weight: 652g
Dimension: 163 x 236 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780774867436