Written by Andrea Smith and published by South End Press, Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide places Native American women at the center of the analysis of sexual violence, challenging both conventional definitions of the term and conventional responses to the problem.
Beginning with the impact of the abuses inflicted on Native American children at state-sanctioned boarding schools from the 1880s to the 1980s, Smith expands our conception of violence to include the widespread appropriation of Indian cultural practices by whites and other non-Natives; environmental racism; and population control. Smith deftly connects these and other examples of historical and contemporary colonialism to the high rates of violence against Native American women-as a group, the poorest women in the US, and the most likely to suffer from poverty-related illnesses and to survive rape and partner abuse.
By focusing on the impact of sexual violence on Native American women, Smith articulates an agenda that is compelling to feminists, Native Americans, other people of color, and all who are committed to creating viable alternatives to state-based "solutions."
Conquest is a 2005 winner of the Gustavus Meyer Award for Human Rights.
All the proceeds from Conquest are donated to INCITE!.
Visit South End Press for more information, including how to order.