Introduction
In The comic book “The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book” by Gord Hill, the representation of modern Indigenous resistance movements (from 1973 to 2020) illustrates the various strategic and tactical approaches adopted by Indigenous communities to seek justice, indigenity, and culture protection. Hill depicts the processes in various ways, represented in a merger of images and storytelling, and brings forth the many strategies that Indigenous peoples used to advocate for their rights and seek redress for historical wrongs. This essay will look into the strategies as well as tactics used in the modern-day Indigenous movements, which are represented by Hill, and provide a possibility to compare them and their principles.
Protests and Petitions
One strategy that they used was through protests and petitions. According to (Hill 112), when the town of OKA planned to build and expand the town through the construction of condos and the expansion of a golf course, the Mohawks and residents of OKA in 1989 began signing petitions and protesting against these expansions since it was to be done in a forested area and where their graveyards were located. Hill illustrates this tactic in the portrayal of the protests following the killing of Raymond Yellow Thunder by four whites in Gordon, as depicted on page 108 of the comic book. The protests erupted in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, drawing over 1000 people and lasting for three days. This instance serves as a potent example of Indigenous communities mobilizing to demand justice in the face of violence and oppression. Hill’s use of vivid imagery captures the scale and intensity of these protests, conveying the collective outrage and determination of Indigenous peoples to confront systemic injustices.
Treaties
After so much struggle between the native people and authorities due to the fishing grounds. According to (Hill 109), the native people showed a high level of disobedience and sometimes even engaged in armed confrontations with the police. All this was done with the intention of protecting the native people’s fishing grounds. So many movements, such as the Pan-Indian Movements, took place. “In 1974, the government ruled in favor of the Native Treaty Rights, which enabled the natives to catch 50 percent of the fish and participate in decision-making at the fisheries “. The ruling was a clear indication that treaties were important negotiation strategies, and the agreements put in these treaties can be used to sue the party that breaks the treaties. Nevertheless, treaties continue to be a complex and equally debatable issue. Hill’s comic shows that treaties were broken or misinterpreted time and time again; therefore, their implementation needed to be done properly. Let us cite the case of non-fulfilled treaty promises on land ownership in the Oka crisis (Hill 112). This critically signposts the underlying power disparity in the treaty negotiations, which mostly favor dominant groups. Through treaties, some were meant to serve as legal instruments for leverage and others for cultural preservation and self-determination. The Jay Treaty of 1794 was very controversial at the time, and it acknowledged the presence of sovereign Indigenous nations, that they had the right to govern themselves.
Negotiations
The other tactic that has been highly used by modern indigenous people to fight for their rights since 1973 is the method of negotiation. According to (Hill 111), “After three years of confrontations and negotiations, the land at Moss Lake was exchanged for another parcel over 600 acres at Miners Lake near Altona, NY”. These negotiations are very important in that they prevent forceful conflicts between the indigenous people and the people in authority. Negotiations lead to a mutual agreement, and both parties tend to reach a win-win type of agreement. The culmination was a sensible resolution where the Indigenous community exchanged the land near Altona with another parcel. This interaction signifies the great role of the talks in averting war between the pastoralists and the armed authorities. Through negotiation, the parties can reach mutually advantageous agreements and gain a real win-win outcome while fully rewarding the rights and also sovereignty enjoyed by the Indigenous communities and addressing the concerns of the governmental or corporate entities. Diplomatic tools for Indigenous peoples to exercise their rights and interests are in the field of negotiations forcefully in the atmosphere of mutual respect, and then cooperation, and then confrontational or adversarial methods are excluded.
Blockades
In Hill’s comic, apparent barriers are transformed into a complex and powerful tool for the survival of the indigenous peoples. Examples include the Karnataka Mohawk blockade of 1990, which took place on Hill 116 (Hill 116), and the Standing Rock protests (Hill 133), which saw blockades against the Dakota Access Pipeline as a form of protest against their sacred grounds being taken over. There were no impediments to the blockades, except these were symbols of the colonial narratives, which were contrary to the Indigenous people’s domination over their territories. They brought economic activity to a halt, created an international outcry, and compelled authorities to sit up and talk. Notwithstanding, Hill also shows us the risks and complexities of blockades. It made government repressions, media maneuvers, and internal divisions. In the end, Hill shows resistance (cap) as a powerful but sophisticated tactic that requires strategic planning, community unification, and consideration of the possible consequences.
Goal For the Struggles
Hill’s portrayal of the overarching aims of contemporary resistance movements demonstrates that the imperative of these movements spans reclaiming sovereignty, claiming self-determination, preserving cultural heritage, and seeking justice for historical injustices. Indigenous groups fight for their land and resources, want to be in control of their territories, and oppose colonialist encroachments of the colonizers. Moreover, there is also a push to tackle the institutional disparities and defeat the ethnic abnegation. The end vision is a future where Indigenous people will be self-sufficient and successful as a result of colonialism being behind them, whereas they will empower their own lives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book by Gord Hill is an exhaustive look at the different strategies, tactics, and reasons behind modern Indigenous resistance movements from 1973 to 2020. Hill uses imagery and storytelling effectively to show the various methods utilized by the Indigenous tribes to fight colonization, establish self-determination, and seek justice. From demonstrations, discussions, or treaty-making to blockades and cultural revitalization initiatives, Indigenous resistance movements will use various ways and means to take their sovereignty back, protect their heritage, and pursue the unfinished business of colonization. In the end, the main aims of these struggles are to retto self-determination, fight inequality as a system, and create an environment where Indigenous peoples will be able to live, not only survive but thrive, on their own conditions, to be free from the effects of colonization.
Work Cited
HILL, GORD. The 500 Years of INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE COMIC BOOK: REVISED and EXPANDED. 2021
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