Is Decolonization a Buzzword?

Read the full paper by Nhattan Nguyen

How many times have you heard settlers throw around the word “decolonize” and you were pretty sure they had no idea what that actually meant? Decolonize the climate movement, decolonize philanthropy, decolonize education… 

Many leaders, activists, and organizers from settler organizations and governments these days use the word “decolonization” when they simply mean equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). But decolonization is about so much more. Decolonization, through the interpretations of so many amazing Indigenous and racialized thinkers, means undoing colonial impacts (Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee); it means resistance and liberation (Waziyatawin and Yellow Bird); it means dreaming (Poka Laenui); it means restitution and Land Back (Taiaiake Alfred).

For everyone who wants to be committed to the struggle for both anti-racism and decolonization, we need a working knowledge of the terms involved in our collective liberation and what they actually mean, from EDI to abolition to transformative justice to white supremacy culture to decolonization. In the 13-page research paper below, I compile starting definitions to many of these concepts, and offer a comparative framework to understand how they compare to each other, and more crucially, for the organizations you work with to understand if they are engaging in EDI or shifting power through decolonization.

Settler colonialism is active and ongoing. EDI is an important step, but achieving equity can still exist in systems of harm. To work towards decolonization, we need to shift who holds power to achieve restitution and justice in our systems as well as liberation for communities.