Colonial Entanglement: Constituting a Twenty-First-Century Osage Nation

Description

From 2004 to 2006 the Osage Nation conducted a contentious governmental reform process in which sharply differing visions arose over the new government’s goals| the Nation’s own history| and what it means to be Osage. The primary debates were focused on biology| culture| natural resources| and sovereignty. Osage anthropologist Jean Dennison documents the reform process in order to reveal the lasting effects of colonialism and to illuminate the possibilities for indigenous sovereignty. In doing so| she brings to light the many complexities of defining indigenous citizenship and governance in the twenty-first century.
By situating the 2004-6 Osage Nation reform process within its historical and current contexts| Dennison illustrates how the Osage have creatively responded to continuing assaults on their nationhood. A fascinating account of a nation in the midst of its own remaking| “Colonial Entanglement” presents a sharp analysis of how legacies of European invasion and settlement in North America continue to affect indigenous people’s views of selfhood and nationhood.