Certain populations in the world are settlers in their origin: historically, they did not belong to the regions they occupied but substituted indigenous peoples. In scientific terms, this phenomenon is known as settler colonialism. As any form of intrusion, settler colonialism played an important role in shaping the culture, governmental structure, and social and political image of the affected regions. This paper presents the essential aspects of settler colonialism, such as historical examples, doctrines, contributions, and current tendencies.
Settler colonialism is a widespread phenomenon in world history since it affected different parts of the world. Lu defines this notion as “settling in colonies by colonizers and the establishment of states and societies of their own by usurping native land instead of exploiting native labor” (9). The important feature of settler colonialism is that it is associated with the elimination of the indigenous population and its substitution by settlers. In most cases, the methods of intruders were far from peaceful and included murdering of local people.
Several factors can be considered the driving forces of settler colonialism. The most important cause is connected with the acquisition of lands. Target territories were usually the lands with abundant natural resources or agricultural opportunities; consequently, they could be the source of wealth for settlers (Lu 11). Another driving force is associated with racial and cultural issues since the goal of settlers is to eliminate local culture and establish the dominance of their race, religion, and traditional practices (Lu 11). Other causes of settler colonialism include economic, social, and political turmoil within a colonizing country (Lu 14). These factors could vary in different regions, though the acquisition of land is believed to be the most common reason for the violent actions of settlers.
It is important to underline particular ideologies associated with settler colonialism. First, it is often described as an imposed structure rather than a process or a historical event (Gilio-Whitaker para. 5). This structure is based on the specific relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people, where settlers are considered superior to the local population. At the same time, since the goal of settler colonialism is the elimination of the owners of a particular territory, it cannot be the synonym of genocide, which implies the elimination of an entire society (Lentin 58). Therefore, many researchers refuse to equate this phenomenon to genocide.
In order to demonstrate the nature and peculiarities of settler colonialism, it would be appropriate to analyze this notion through the example of Japanese intrusions. Settler colonialism of Japan was not the first in history: Japanese settlers followed the example of Anglo-American settler colonialism and the concept of land ownership (Lu 14). The process started in the nineteenth century when Japan was a growing empire. The neighboring territories, such as Hokkaido, Karafuto, Okinawa, the Bonin Islands, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula, were considered attractive in terms of their lands. They seemed “empty and unworked” for Japanese settlers, who ignored the fact that these lands were already densely populated (Lu 14). As a result, Malthusian expansionists started their migration-based colonialism to these territories, which were perceived as the sources of wealth.
The reasons behind this intrusion were not only connected with the acquisition of lands but were also triggered by the unstable political and social situation in Japan. Moreover, by expanding the territories of the empire, Malthusian intruders could solve the issue of overpopulation and free the country from social pressure (Lu 17). This example demonstrates that settler colonialism is not always limited to the mere ambitions of settlers to privatize lands but can be the means of solving the political, social, and economic problems of the intruding party.
Even though settler colonialism is mostly associated with the past, some signs of this phenomenon can be found in the modern world. The proof of this idea is the disappearance of indigenous people around the world. It is necessary to mention racialization in America, which implies intermarriage between indigenous and non-indigenous people. This process leads to the complete disappearance of local races like Indians or Native Hawaiian (Gilio-Whitaker para. 6). Another form of the modern settler colonialism underlined by the author includes the allocation of Indian lands, forced enrollment in Indian boarding schools, Christianization, and various relocation programs aimed at cultural assimilation (Gilio-Whitaker para. 7). Even though these methods do not involve the intentional physical elimination of people, they still lead to the attrition of the local culture, which is the undoubtful sign of settler colonialism.
It is possible to conclude that settler colonialism greatly contributed to the shaping of the cultural and racial image of certain territories. Even though it led to indigenous attrition in many regions, its major consequence is the emergence of indigenous resistance movements. One of the best examples of these protests is Native Americans’ resistance in the 17th and 18th centuries, known as “Indian Wars” (Sirvent and Haiphong ch. 1). Another American Indian movement took place between the 1960s and 1970s. These resistance movements significantly influenced the political structure of the U.S. Firstly, they emphasized that America is a multinational country where both indigenous and non-indigenous cultures should be respected. Secondly, it contributed to the development of the U.S. Constitution, where the forms of Indian government were accepted, and the equality of peoples was proclaimed the country’s priority (Sirvent and Haiphong ch. 1). As it is possible to see, settler colonialism led to important political consequences, besides social and cultural impact.
In conclusion, settler colonialism is based on the principle of settlers’ dominance over the native population and is associated with ethnic cleansing. Even though this notion is often connected to genocide and violence, it is hard to deny its significant role in the cultural, social, and political spheres of the colonizing country. Some less violent forms of settler colonialism still exist today in certain cultures. Therefore, this issue remains in the center of many historical studies.
Works Cited
Gilio-Whitaker, Dina. “American Settler Colonialism 101.” ThoughtCo, Web.
Lentin, Ronit. Traces of Racial Exception: Racializing Israeli Settler Colonialism. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.
Lu, Sidney Xu. The Making of Japanese Settler Colonialism. Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Sirvent, Roberto, and Danny Haiphong. American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People’s History of Fake News—From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror. Simon and Schuster, 2019.