Early Indigenous Literatures

Children as resources for the settler state

Here the relationship follows precedent as one of "responsibility for...protection and preservation." Of immediate interest is the power of resources--a reminder that the settler state is always already viewing Native peoples as constituents from which to gain land and other extractions. It is under this clamor for resources that we then get an explicit reference to Native children as resources. On one hand, we will see in Bonnin's stories that Native children are integral to nation's wellbeing and survivance and--on the other--we get explicit agreement of their importance here, except with the pointed difference that Native children are here turned into "things" and profitable commodities at that. Ultimately, the document underlines that its power comes from the US's position as "trustee." Protections are ultimately limited by stipulations of eligible membership, which are under direct pressure from the settler state to begin with.

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