Sheryl Lightfoot is Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia and author of
Elsa Stamatopoulou is Director of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Program at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University and author of
Borders as Obstructions to Indigenous Peoples' Rights
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Published:November 2023
This chapter argues that ongoing armed violence and narcotrafficking in Northeast India can be better understood by analyzing the continued colonization of Indigenous lands through exploitation and militarization. Fractured by colonial borders and state intrusion, Indigenous Peoples in Northeast India now face increased narcotrafficking, small arms proliferation, and civil violence at voraciously increasing rates. Resistance to this dynamic violence has been carried out by various Indigenous women's groups seeking to mobilize to contain pervasive violence in the region. This chapter puts forth that this small region—home to hundreds of Indigenous groups—has hosted the development of many multifaceted resistance efforts featuring Indigenous women and youth resisting both present civil violence and the ongoing violent colonial presence in their territory.
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