Warrior Life

"Warrior Life: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence is the second book of the best blogs and articles authored by Pamela Palmater since her first book: Indigenous Nationhood: Empowering Grassroots Citizens. Like the first book, this one provides short chapters on current Indigenous issues that are easily accessible to students and the general public under the general topic areas of Canadian and First Nation politics, racism, sexualized genocide, Canadian law and policy impacting Indigenous peoples and a critique of reconciliation initiatives. The book is structured as a collection of mini-political and legal critiques/analyses of current issues that provides a starting point for further inquiry or discussion in academic or informal settings. It will also provide updates at end of each chapter so that readers will know what happened next and where they need to take action. Like the first book, Indigenous Nationhood, the focus is on grassroots Indigenous resistance and resurgence through exercising our voices - as sovereign individuals and collectives - for the betterment of our peoples and Nations. Social change requires social engagement, discussion, consideration and reflection of the issues to work towards consensus on the paths forward for our Nations. Solidarity-building with other social justice movements is also key to the radical changes needed to address crises issues like genocide against Indigenous peoples and its connection to the climate change emergency facing all of us. This book, like the last, holds the state to account and seeks to inform and empower grassroots peoples - both Indigenous peoples and Canadian allies - through information, analysis and suggested paths forward. Now more than ever, the future of our peoples and the planet depend on us to break through the barriers of anti-Indigenous racism, capitalism & patriarchy, to decolonize our minds, bodies and spirits and focus on living, asserting and defending our sovereignty and our territories. It requires us to be warriors and find a way to balance our efforts towards both resistance and resurgence. As much effort as we put into resisting ongoing genocide, we must also put into cultural resurgence and nation-building. Traditional Indigenous governance starts with the people and that is where this book locates itself."—