#so absent shes questioning the legitimacy of her birth

[neko--anime-girl]

She unlocked her fucking sharingan because of fucking Sasuke

[andiedoyon97]

10.6.19 Tumblr 3: The Colonized Body Key Word: Ownership of Space and Bodies

Throughout this unit we discussed how white colonialism was primarily focused on the acquisition of land and therefore the control of certain groups of people and how it continues to do this today. My key phrase for this unit is “Ownership of Spaces and Bodies.” In Goldstein’s article, she writes, “Whiteness in the United States has been historically constituted not only as a form of property but also as the capacity to possess” (2014). The article goes on to discuss the case of Adoptive Couple Vs. Baby Girl. This case was discussing the legitimacy of a biological father to gain custody over his daughter for whom he unknowingly waived his rights to before her birth. His ability to care for his daughter was questioned based on his identity as a member of the Cherokee Nation. The news segment we watched in class was particularly horrifying because the report failed to take his perspective into consideration while instead choosing to focus on the emotional reactions of the adoptive family. Here for example, the ownership of an infant is being argued on the basis of race. I found myself conflicted about what would be in the baby’s best interest, being pulled from the family who had raised her for 2 years OR living with her biological father who would be better equipped to teach her about her heritage and culture. Here white colonialism is further reinforced by the lack of consideration for her Cherokee identity.

Later in the unit we discussed how the “Kia’I” in Hawaii are fighting to preserve the sacred Mauna Kea mountain from the possibility of undergoing construction of a massive telescope. The Kia’l have been able to mobilize thousands of Hawaiians to support the movement which is mostly led by younger members of the community. This fight against colonial ownership of sacred lands is particularly intriguing because it is directly opposing a Royal Order made in 2019, but in October the year before the Hawaiian Supreme Court ruled in favor of development, thus provoking further social demonstration from over 3,000 people to halt construction. The author comments on this in writing, “U.S. settler colonialism in Hawai‘i has meant the historical loss of language and everyday cultural practice as white American culture became hegemonic, cutting us off from knowledge of our own history and ancestors, along with Native spiritual practices. And yet, we see through the indigenous resurgence at Mauna Kea a re-assertion of Hawaiian knowledge and ways of being by the protectors who are engaged in traditional protocols, ceremonies, chant, hula, and song – all guided by the principle of aloha ‘āina (love and stewardship of the land).” I found it really interesting how the indigenous people here are uniting and mobilizing based on tradition and care for the land. I think this mindset is largely absent for many white people because there’s less intrinsic value placed on land and more so on its economic potential. I was never taught a sense of “‘āina.” It contrasts this theme of ownership because it is more focused on maintaining and protecting spaces rather than exploiting them for profit.

Ownership of bodies can be even further exploited by determining what bodies are seen as more valuable to economic gain. In the Erevelles reading we discussed how war and disability go hand-in-hand. The author writes, “War is one of the largest producers of disability in a world still inhospitable to disabled people and their predominately female caregivers” (Erevelles, 2014). We talked about the creation of “Cyborg Soldiers.” Erevelles wrote, “In almost every way, the cyborg soldier constantly battles against the human body using technological prostheses that replicate biological senses while circumventing human biological limitations: poor eyesight, hearing and discernment.” It is the idea of enhancing the body in order to exploit its maximum potential. These enhancements can be connected to ownership because it is rooted in the economic gains a more powerful and advanced body can obtain. The author explains this using the concept of DALY. DALY is a measurement for cost effectiveness and potential productivity developed by the World BANK. I thought about how war veterans are often celebrated unless severely disabled because now we see them as a burden to society. This also differs on if they are physically or invisibly disabled. Both function into a person’s DALY value and if they’ll be seen as a liability. I think in many ways it contributes to whether ownership of this body is worth it or should we consider them disposable now?

Sources:

Alyosha Goldstein. 2014. “Possessive Investments: Indian Removals and the AffectiveEntitlements of Whiteness.American Quarterly 66 (4): 1077-1084.

Enduring Hawaiian Sovereignty, Excerpts from The Abusable Past

Nirmala Erevelles. 2011. “The Color of Violence: Reflection on Gender, Race, and Disability inWartime.” In Feminist Disability Studies.