White Mother to a Dark Race: Settler Colonialism, Maternalism, and the Removal of Indigenous Children in the American West and Australia, 1880-1940
$26.72
Description
Book Synopsis: In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, indigenous communities in the United States and Australia suffered a common experience at the hands of state authorities: the removal of their children to institutions in the name of assimilating American Indians and protecting Aboriginal people. Although officially characterized as benevolent, these government 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 takes the study of indigenous education and acculturation in new directions in its examination of the key roles white women played in these policies of indigenous child-removal. 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. Often they deemed white women the most appropriate agents to carry out these child-removal policies. Inspired by the maternalist movement 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 hopelessly ensnared in this insidious colonial policy.
Details
Discover the powerful and evocative story of indigenous communities in the United States and Australia in "White Mother to a Dark Race: Settler Colonialism, Maternalism, and the Removal of Indigenous Children in the American West and Australia, 1880-1940." Uncover the truth behind the government policies that aimed to assimilate American Indians and protect Aboriginal people by separating them from their families. This groundbreaking book sheds light on a dark chapter in history, revealing the trauma inflicted on indigenous families in the pursuit of consolidating control over indigenous peoples and their lands.
Delve into a new perspective on indigenous education and acculturation as "White Mother to a Dark Race" explores the pivotal roles played by white women in policies of indigenous child-removal. Government officials, missionaries, and reformers sought to justify these actions by scapegoating indigenous mothers, portraying indigenous men as barbaric, and highlighting the absence of a patriarchal nuclear family. White women, inspired by the maternalist movement, eagerly became surrogate mothers to indigenous children, shaping public policy and influencing the lives of indigenous people.
Journey alongside the women who found themselves caught in the web of colonial policy, their intentions and emotions entangled in this insidious system. While some developed genuine bonds with indigenous children, others grew critical of the government's actions. "White Mother to a Dark Race" paints a vivid picture of the complex dynamics at play and offers a nuanced understanding of the historical context that continues to reverberate today.
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