White Mother to a Dark Race:Settler Colonialism, Maternalism, and the Removal of Indigenous Children in the American West and Au

$30.00

ISBN: 9780803235168
Dewey: 305.89915
LCC Number: E98.C89
Author: Margaret D Jacobs
Illustrator:
Pages: 557
Age Group:

Description

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, American Indians in the United States and Aboriginal people in Australia suffered a common experience at the hands of state authorities: the removal of their children to institutions in the name of assimilation.
Although officially characterized as benevolent, these policies often inflicted great trauma on indigenous families and ultimately served the settler nations’ larger goals of consolidating control over indigenous peoples and their lands.
“White Mother to a Dark Race” examines the key roles white women played in these removal policies.
Government officials, missionaries, and reformers justified the removal of indigenous children in particularly gendered ways by focusing on the supposed deficiencies of indigenous mothers, the alleged barbarity of indigenous men, and the lack of a patriarchal nuclear family in indigenous societies.
Often they deemed white women the most appropriate agents to carry out child-removal policies.
Inspired by the maternalist movements of the era, many white women were eager to serve as surrogate mothers to indigenous children and maneuvered to influence public policy affecting indigenous people.
Although some white women developed caring relationships with indigenous children and others became critical of government policies, many became ensnared in this insidious colonial policy.

Additional information

Weight 1.94 lbs
Dimensions 5.9 × 9 × 1.4 in
Binding Type

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “White Mother to a Dark Race:Settler Colonialism, Maternalism, and the Removal of Indigenous Children in the American West and Au”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.