Conquest ~ Andrea Smith

Smith’s book sheds light on the inherently oppressive definitions of sexual violence, especially towards indigenous women. Sexual violence is a tool. It can be traced back to colonial times. It enforces the patriarchy and colonial goals, of exploration of the Native community.

Sexual violence destroys people (and communities), it destroys their sense of identity, their understanding of a person. This violence is a tool for genocide. It labels indigenous people as “rapable”. For example, environmental racism targets Native women. Because of government land confiscation of native communities and because of environmental population, native women are feeling the effect. Their bodies, are being poisoned, their families being pulled apart and so.

“The project of colonial sexual violence established the ideology the Native bodies are inherently violable—and by extension, that Native lands are also inherently violable”. Sexual violence on Native women is an attack on her identity as well as an attack on her being Native; reinforcing the colonial thought that it is a sin to be Indian.