https://doi.org/10.31261/rias.18274
This paper examines the complex interplay between Indigenous identity and settler-colonial borders through autoethnographic and storytelling approaches. As both an Indigenous person of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin and an immigrant from the island of Bermuda, my experiences span both oceanic and continental borders between the United States, Canada, where I presently live and work, and the United Kingdom’s largest remaining overseas territory, providing a unique vantage point on the politics of Indigenous identity across these settler-imposed boundaries. Using these experiences as a starting point and inspired by the works of Mohawk scholar Audra Simpson and sociologist Avery Gordon, in this paper, I integrate personal narrative with critical analysis to examine the complex nature of an Indigenous life lived across the borders of settler colonialism. Further, I also examine the historical and contemporary ramifications of the Jay Treaty and, in doing so, highlight the asymmetrical recognition of Indigenous rights to mobility upon their traditional territories, territories that existed long before the arrival of settlers to North America, between the United States and Canada. This treaty, which ostensibly provides certain border-crossing rights to Indigenous peoples, is upheld by the United States but not Canada. Not only does this asymmetry underscore the persistent challenges faced by Indigenous communities in asserting their ancient pre-colonial mobility rights, but it also speaks significantly to the imbalance of power that exists between nominally sovereign Indigenous nations and the sovereignties of settler nation-states whose border controls Indigenous people are now subject. Through this narrative, the paper seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on Indigenous internationalism and the ethical responsibilities of Indigenous scholars. By centering stories and storytelling as both epistemological and methodological tools, the paper advocates for a decolonial approach honoring the interconnectedness of Indigenous experiences and the enduring ties between Indigenous nations across borders.
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Vol. 18 No. 1 (2025)
Published: 2025-06-30
10.31261/RIAS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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