Duane Champagne: Indigenous accommodation for colonialism

Colonialism is a trickster because it gives a way of life, but at the same time takes away a way of life. Trust responsibility gives protection for land, but takes away indigenous control over land. Treaties provide some protections and support to indigenous nations, but at the same time subordinates indigenous self-government, self-management, and restricts access to land, economic and spiritual expression. In this same frame, one can say that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a trickster. The Declaration acknowledges many aspirations and rights of Indigenous Peoples, but at the same time turns their ultimate resolution over the nations states, without formally recognizing indigenous nations or self-government.

Indigenous Peoples often do not use violence or even direct protest against the policies of nations states with their trickster-like administration and benefits. Tricksters are part of the universe, and one must respect them. But at the same time, one must learn from their example about what is good and bad. And often, one must avoid the way of the trickster, do not become a monster by fighting totally against the trickster as monster.

In general, many indigenous nations necessarily accommodate to trickster colonialism and the absence of indigenous rights within nation states. For Indigenous Peoples the trickster is not to be emulated, but rather one learns the proper path by avoiding the mistakes of the trickster. One waits patiently for the trickster to learn respect, order, and maturity. One engages it like a child, hoping it will adopt better and proper methods, and ultimately learn to respect the multiple ways of indigenous nations, peoples, cultures, and ways of the cosmic order.