A review by corneliusmcstrawberry
As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

should be required reading for every canadian, every person who is situated on Indigenous lands called ‘canada’, especially those who are settlers and descendants from white europeans. this is not a book written *for* white canadian settlers, it is NOT a self-help book, it emphatically does not aim to appeal to us (speaking from my own view as a euro-canadian white settler). it works in and through Nishnaabeg intelligence; ever time i read leanne simpson i feel like i learn so much, not just because of the subject matter she is writing about but also because of the way she writes it and the specific lens she is working through. it’s a book that says ‘if you want to learn about colonialism in the canadian context, sure you can, but im not going to hold your hand as you board the ship; the ship left the port centuries ago and it is up to you to find your footing.’ even that message is a reductive takeaway, as it covers an expanse of relevant topics such as anti capitalism and internationalism and non-normative sexual/gender identities. it’s hard to summarize this book — just go read it. leanne simpson is a brilliant writer and you will learn something. i certainly did.