Semantic Scholar Open Access 2020 5 sitasi

Signature Wounds: The Untold Story of the Military’s Mental Health Crisis

T. Grieger

Abstrak

author’s ultimate message is “that for environmental justice to be responsive to the needs of Native peoples it must be indigenized—tailored to account for their very different histories, relationships to the land, and political relationships to the State” (147). Well written and coherently organized, As Long as Grass Grows should achieve Giolio-Whitaker’s goal that it “be used not only in classrooms but also by every organization, institution, and individual that engages with Indigenous peoples on the protection of the environment and their rights within it” (x). Scholars will find that her brief treatments of past and recent events alike cover familiar ground, but Gilio-Whitaker’s ability to concisely and cogently present a wide range of topics makes the book a quality consideration for Native American studies courses. Yet undergraduates and the general public might struggle through the whirlwind discussions of policies, court decisions, and organizations that often force readers to wade through streams of acronyms. Perhaps the greatest barriers to a broad readership are the book’s agenda and tone. Unapologetically (and understandably) critical of the US government yesterday and today, Gilio-Whitaker offers a polemic that may repel more readers than it converts. She makes little effort to conceal her disdain for the Trump administration especially, referring in the acknowledgments, for example, to “the national tragedy of the election of Donald Trump” (163). Meanwhile, the author unabashedly and uncritically celebrates Indian activists. Given that “the overall goal of this book is to highlight the importance of building alliances across social and racial divides” and that Gilio-Whitaker asserts that this must be achieved through “an honest interrogation of the history,” her abrasive language and biased approach to the past and present seem counterintuitive (ix). Closing the final chapter with the words “In the long run, environmental justice for American Indians is environmental justice for everyone ... and for the Earth herself” underscores the issue of bias and agenda (162). The point that environmental justice must incorporate the needs of indigenous peoples is well taken, but suggesting that what is best for Native Americans is best for “everyone” verges dangerously close to the very disregard for multicultural values that Gilio-Whitaker rails against. That framework, along with the concise nature of the volume, precludes any nuance in examining conflicts within and among indigenous communities. Gilio-Whitaker alludes to interand intratribal disagreements over environmental issues, but she overlooks controversies that have sometimes divided communities and pitted Indian nations against one another. At Wind River Indian Reservation alone, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes have butted heads over myriad environmental issues over the past few decades. The author’s familiarity with Standing Rock, as well as developments in California, influences her selection of examples, but one is left to wonder if she avoided some cases so as to not muddy the waters. Regardless, as the book’s title, THE Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice from Colonization to Standing Rock (emphasis added), suggests, Gilio-Whitaker tends to treat American Indians as a monolithic entity. This clashes with decades of scholarship emphasizing diversity among indigenous nations. The folly of this approach becomes manifest when one considers the complex history of Wind River Indian Reservation with the statement that “environmental justice for American Indians is environmental justice for everyone” in mind; the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes have often disagreed on common environmental policies. Moreover, discerning readers may take issue with Gilio-Walker’s source selection. For instance, when discussing the impact of the extermination of the bison on native peoples, she cites an Encyclopedia.com entry, rather than one of many excellent scholarly works on the subject, foremost among them Andrew C. Isenberg’s Destruction of the Bison (Cambridge University Press 2000). A brief book such as this certainly cannot be expected to incorporate all relevant literature, but As Long as Grass Grows does not reference such major works as Patricia Nelson Limerick’s Legacy of Conquest (Norton 1987) and Richard White’s “It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own” (University of Oklahoma 1991) to support her points regarding history. Ultimately, As Long as Grass Grows is a provocative volume that acquaints readers with the subject of environmental injustice as it concerns American Indians and suggests pathways toward collaborative solutions. However, one is left to wonder if its aggressive approach will convert readers, engender heated discussions, or fall on ears deafened by the political rancor of the time in which it appeared.

Topik & Kata Kunci

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T

T. Grieger

Format Sitasi

Grieger, T. (2020). Signature Wounds: The Untold Story of the Military’s Mental Health Crisis. https://doi.org/10.1080/03612759.2020.1750870

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Informasi Jurnal
Tahun Terbit
2020
Bahasa
en
Total Sitasi
Sumber Database
Semantic Scholar
DOI
10.1080/03612759.2020.1750870
Akses
Open Access ✓