indigenous resistance – ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

Land, Labour, and Power in a Colonial Catholic Mission in Trinidad

Colonial propaganda that masks “humanitarianism” behind self-interest, and breeds euphemisms that are inversions of reality, constitute the recurring subjects of the critiques produced on Zero Anthropology. Little of what we encounter in the present is either new or “original”: much of the “foreign policy” language of elite geopolitical strategists is in fact derived from much […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Pearls before Swine

Pearls, in the Parish of St. Andrew’s, Grenada, just up the road from the main town of Grenville, is a unique place that sits at the intersection of two of the main themes of my research career: the cultures and histories of Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean, and the political economy of US imperialist interventions. Both […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Speaking for Themselves: Indigenous Resistance, Indigenous Reality, and Free Dub

“The collectives TFTT [The Fire This Time] and IR/IR [Indigenous Resistance, Indigenous Reality] craft a hypnotic, militant dub music intended to transmit a supershock to the forces of global devastation. But most importantly, for TFTT and IRIIR, ‘dub’ is a comprehensive and enlarged term that refers to their aesthetic and musical sensibilities, philosophical orientations and […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

(Surface) Images & Aboriginal Graffiti from Kahnawake: A Mohawk Rez outside Montreal, Canada

A little over a week ago I rented a vehicle to take care of some chores, (the only time I feel pressed to rent; in this instance filling a third of the van’s tank of gas cost $61). My chores took me past Kahnawake (Kahk’nuh’wa’guh), the famous Mohawk First Nation (or reservation) at the western […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Anthem of the Taíno Resurgence: Naboria Daca Ae Mayanimacaná

What might be called the unofficial “anthem” of the Taíno indigenous resurgence is the beautiful, moving song by Juan Luis Guerra of the Dominican Republic, sung in the Taíno language, titled Naboria Daca Ae Mayanimacaná. The song comes from his 1992 album, Areito, which refers to Taíno dance, an album that featured a number of […]