Foreword and Introduction

Book: Conquest- Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide
Author: Andrea Smith
pages: XV-6

Summary:

Winona LaDuke tells her experience as an Native American woman. She explains how Native women are one of the least valued human beings in the country. She describes a term called, "ethno-stress" which is what most Native American suffer from. She describes it as "you will wake up in the morning, and someone will be trying to steal you land, your legal rights your sister will be in jail, your public school Anglo-dominated school district will be calling about your children's conflicts with teachers or their spotty attention, and your non-profit organization's funding is getting cut by a foundation because you are no longer a priority". (Smith 2005, pg XVII) She raises a really tragic and complex theory of women of color feeling pressured to not report rape or violence against them by colored men, in order to retain a solid face against racism. She informs readers that the book is about how colonialism and patriarchy use sexual violence as a tool against Native American women. The first chapter is how sexual violence deemed some people rapable and how it was able to continue further by sterilization abuse and racism. The second chapter is about events in U.S. and Canadian American Indian Boarding schools. The third chapter is about racism and sexism is a form of sexual violence against Native Americans. Chapter four examines how sexual violence was used as an initiative to stop Native Americans from reproducing. Chapter 5 is about medical experimentation on Native Americans. Chapter 6 is about Native American spirituality's being used as ground for sexual exploitation. Chapter 7 is about how we can end gender violence. Chapter 8 is about how we should end violence by acknowledging the faults of the United States government.

My thoughts/reactions:
This seems like a really good book to read because it examines how sexual violence is used as a tool of oppression. I agree with her point of colored women feeling like they will weaken the racial front if they report violence being commited by colored men. People of color, especially colored males, already have a negative view in the media and public. It seems like the victims have to decide which is more tolerable of the two demeaning, tragic acts: racism or sexual violence. Sexual violence is a horrible, horrible tragedy to happen to anyone, and no government, institution, or human being should take part in it or defend it.