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Storying Violence: Unravelling Colonial Narratives in the Stanley Trial
Storying Violence explores the 2018 murder of Colten Boushie and the subsequent trial of Gerald Stanley. Through an analysis of relevant socio-political narratives in the prairies and scholarship on settler colonialism, the authors argue that Boushie's death and Stanley's acquittal were not isolated incidents but are yet another manifestation of the crisis-ridden relationships
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in
Saskatchewan, ones that evidence the impossibility of finding justice for Indigenous peoples in settler colonial contexts. We situate Indigenous peoples' presence as a threat to the type of security that settler colonial societies promise settler citizens, pointing to the Stanley case as one instance where such threats are operationalized as mechanisms to sanction violence against Indigenous peoples and communities.
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in
Saskatchewan, ones that evidence the impossibility of finding justice for Indigenous peoples in settler colonial contexts. We situate Indigenous peoples' presence as a threat to the type of security that settler colonial societies promise settler citizens, pointing to the Stanley case as one instance where such threats are operationalized as mechanisms to sanction violence against Indigenous peoples and communities.
139 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2020
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207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 11, 2024
Very short and highly accessible which makes it a must read for Canadians. The authors do an excellent job showing how stories involving race, class, and gender are constructed in a settler colonial society and how those stories are utilized in society to reinforce certain barriers and boundaries. Being in Saskatoon there are so many specific ideas that exist about Colten Boushie's murder that simply do not stand up to interrogation as the authors demonstrate.
June 26, 2022
A short but good read. I read this book soon after I read the story on the life and death of Tina Fontaine, hearing that both trials were held at similar times. This novel is different in that instead of describing the court case and murder of Colten Boushie, Starblanket & Hunt describe the narratives that allowed Stanley to legally be allowed to murder. This was an elaborative read on the history and continued structures of colonial legal systems that are purposely created to frame Indigenous persons as criminals, and/or deserving of injustices. I obtained greater knowledge on the motives which specifically are regionally greater in the prairie region of Canada, that drive the legal system.
March 6, 2021
Really want to mail a copy of this out to all my bigoted extended family members living in the prairies.
March 3, 2023
In 2018, Gerald Stanely, a white man, was tried and acquitted of manslaughter. He had fatally shot 22 year old Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man, who had entered Stanely’s property to ask for assistance with a flat tire. Stanley’s lawyer, Scott Spencer, stated that there was “no evidence that race played any part in the tragic circumstances that escalated on the Stanley Farm” and thus, this case should not become a “referendum on race” (CBC News 2017, cited in Starblanket and Hunt, 2020: 65).
“Storying Violence” is Gina Starblanket and Dallas Hunt’s scathing and succinct rebuttal against Spencer’s assertion. Neither the case nor the Canadian legal system can be divorced from race as a racial hierarchy is engrained in its functions. In this short book, Starblanket and Hunt use their experience as Indigenous people and scholars to tie the foundational ‘stories’ utilized in the founding of western Canada to the violence enacted contemporaneously against Indigenous people. By interrogating dominant discourses surrounding the Stanley trial and tracing their origins to the early 1800s, Starblanket and Hunt have made a strong case for not accepting the settler story on face value, and to instead critically analyze it and understand how it has rationalized and reproduced systemic harm to this day.
The book is accessible written and is intended for settlers who have limited experience on this topic and may even show some “reluctance” to studying it (16). It is physically unintimidating: including acknowledgements and notes, the book clocks in at under 150 pages. The content is also communicated clearly and does not rely on field-specific jargon. Readers don’t even need to know about the Stanley trial before approaching this book as the facts of the case are introduced early on. Additionally, this piece was published in 2020, a year before the unmarked graves of Indigenous children were discovered around Western Canada. As a result, many Canadian readers were already aware of how the Canadian government treated Indigenous people. This book succeeds in being approachable and clear enough for many Canadians to understand and learn from.
The specificity of this book lends to its strengths. Another contributor in the genre (of un-intimidating books on indigenity targeted for settlers), “21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act” by Bob Joseph discusses a large legislative act and its broad impacts across the nation (Joseph, 2018). Although this macro-approach has its benefits, Starblanket and Hunt’s focus allows their argument more room for depth. ‘Storying Violence’ builds off of past Indigenous scholarship that believes “there is no universal or national way of conceptualizing [Indigenous-settler] relations given that the foundational crises themselves manifest in different ways” (52). The prairies set a unique context from which Indigenous-settler relations were founded. Settlers in the late 1800s-early 1900s moved west to pursue agriculture. Unlike fur trading, farming requires large tracts of land to be dispossessed from Indigenous people and transformed into private property (41). This was part of a larger nation building movement against the Americans wherein the Canadian government to raced to expand its sovereignty and legitimacy westward. Therefore, not only was any land claim by Indigenous people antithetical to the material objective of the settlers, it was antithetical to the whole Canadian project (41).
However, there are a few elements that could have been expanded upon or strengthened.
The concept of gender, though recurrent throughout the book, is presented without explanation (24). Though not the focus of the book, its frequent reference means it should have been better connected to the main argument. It’s clear that the settler-story privileges the white male as the arbiter of justice, civility, and rationality. However, how does the gender framework impact Indigenous people? Is there a connection between the description of “fertile,” and “virgin” western soil and how the local women were perceived? (35, 44) Is there a gendered element to how settlers “assert[ed] their own superiority” against the Indigenous (44)? There is a single mention of the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited people, and one note on the case of Pamela George but the book provides no explicit connection between this violence and the “gendered logics” of western settler colonialism (122). As this book is targeting those with little exposure to the topic, if the authors wanted to make note of the gendered aspects of settler discourse, they should have been more explicit in what they meant.
This draws to a larger issue with ‘Storying Violence.’ Although this is a qualitative analysis of discourses about Indigenous people and settlers, the argument would have been strengthened with the inclusion of some quantitative evidence. Numbers cannot give the whole story but, when used in tandem with the rest of the text, can add a macro perspective to their specific arguments. To bring it back to gender, the note referring to Pamela George could have included statistics on the disproportionate amount of violence enacted against Indigenous women compared to the rest of Canada, so that readers would have easy access to this information (122). Instead, those who aren’t aware of this systemic issue would have to look into the case specifically and hopefully stumble across factoids referring to this issue. This technique was used in great effect at the start of chapter four, where the authors used statistics to show how widespread anti-indigenous sentiments are in the Prairies (94). This should have been better integrated throughout the text to bolster the author’s claims.
Despite its flaws, this is a strong showing from Starblanket and Hunt that balances depth with accessibility. Early on, the authors make note of the political nature of this book. Indeed, it is precisely the goal of their project (82). They remove the settler narrative from the realm of the ‘normal’ to highlight how crucial the study and dissection of these ‘stories’ are to the understanding of past, current, and future relations between Indigenous people and settlers.
Mentioned:
Joseph, Bob. 2018. 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act : Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality. Port Coquitlam :: Indigenous Relations Press.
“Storying Violence” is Gina Starblanket and Dallas Hunt’s scathing and succinct rebuttal against Spencer’s assertion. Neither the case nor the Canadian legal system can be divorced from race as a racial hierarchy is engrained in its functions. In this short book, Starblanket and Hunt use their experience as Indigenous people and scholars to tie the foundational ‘stories’ utilized in the founding of western Canada to the violence enacted contemporaneously against Indigenous people. By interrogating dominant discourses surrounding the Stanley trial and tracing their origins to the early 1800s, Starblanket and Hunt have made a strong case for not accepting the settler story on face value, and to instead critically analyze it and understand how it has rationalized and reproduced systemic harm to this day.
The book is accessible written and is intended for settlers who have limited experience on this topic and may even show some “reluctance” to studying it (16). It is physically unintimidating: including acknowledgements and notes, the book clocks in at under 150 pages. The content is also communicated clearly and does not rely on field-specific jargon. Readers don’t even need to know about the Stanley trial before approaching this book as the facts of the case are introduced early on. Additionally, this piece was published in 2020, a year before the unmarked graves of Indigenous children were discovered around Western Canada. As a result, many Canadian readers were already aware of how the Canadian government treated Indigenous people. This book succeeds in being approachable and clear enough for many Canadians to understand and learn from.
The specificity of this book lends to its strengths. Another contributor in the genre (of un-intimidating books on indigenity targeted for settlers), “21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act” by Bob Joseph discusses a large legislative act and its broad impacts across the nation (Joseph, 2018). Although this macro-approach has its benefits, Starblanket and Hunt’s focus allows their argument more room for depth. ‘Storying Violence’ builds off of past Indigenous scholarship that believes “there is no universal or national way of conceptualizing [Indigenous-settler] relations given that the foundational crises themselves manifest in different ways” (52). The prairies set a unique context from which Indigenous-settler relations were founded. Settlers in the late 1800s-early 1900s moved west to pursue agriculture. Unlike fur trading, farming requires large tracts of land to be dispossessed from Indigenous people and transformed into private property (41). This was part of a larger nation building movement against the Americans wherein the Canadian government to raced to expand its sovereignty and legitimacy westward. Therefore, not only was any land claim by Indigenous people antithetical to the material objective of the settlers, it was antithetical to the whole Canadian project (41).
However, there are a few elements that could have been expanded upon or strengthened.
The concept of gender, though recurrent throughout the book, is presented without explanation (24). Though not the focus of the book, its frequent reference means it should have been better connected to the main argument. It’s clear that the settler-story privileges the white male as the arbiter of justice, civility, and rationality. However, how does the gender framework impact Indigenous people? Is there a connection between the description of “fertile,” and “virgin” western soil and how the local women were perceived? (35, 44) Is there a gendered element to how settlers “assert[ed] their own superiority” against the Indigenous (44)? There is a single mention of the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited people, and one note on the case of Pamela George but the book provides no explicit connection between this violence and the “gendered logics” of western settler colonialism (122). As this book is targeting those with little exposure to the topic, if the authors wanted to make note of the gendered aspects of settler discourse, they should have been more explicit in what they meant.
This draws to a larger issue with ‘Storying Violence.’ Although this is a qualitative analysis of discourses about Indigenous people and settlers, the argument would have been strengthened with the inclusion of some quantitative evidence. Numbers cannot give the whole story but, when used in tandem with the rest of the text, can add a macro perspective to their specific arguments. To bring it back to gender, the note referring to Pamela George could have included statistics on the disproportionate amount of violence enacted against Indigenous women compared to the rest of Canada, so that readers would have easy access to this information (122). Instead, those who aren’t aware of this systemic issue would have to look into the case specifically and hopefully stumble across factoids referring to this issue. This technique was used in great effect at the start of chapter four, where the authors used statistics to show how widespread anti-indigenous sentiments are in the Prairies (94). This should have been better integrated throughout the text to bolster the author’s claims.
Despite its flaws, this is a strong showing from Starblanket and Hunt that balances depth with accessibility. Early on, the authors make note of the political nature of this book. Indeed, it is precisely the goal of their project (82). They remove the settler narrative from the realm of the ‘normal’ to highlight how crucial the study and dissection of these ‘stories’ are to the understanding of past, current, and future relations between Indigenous people and settlers.
Mentioned:
Joseph, Bob. 2018. 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act : Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality. Port Coquitlam :: Indigenous Relations Press.
April 8, 2021
A great short insightful read.
September 10, 2024
It is an illuminating read on the harmful biases and preconceived notions that are put on indigenous people and how this ties to Canada's settler colonial history. Gina Starblanket shows how settler colonialism is a very present part of Canada. With the current genocide happening in Gaza, Palestine. I can't help but draw parallels between the way that Palestinians are portrayed by the settler colonial entity Israel. The book is digestible and accessible to a general reader. I believe that it is a book everybody should read, especially those who live in settler colonial countries.
Read
October 3, 2021Well-written counter narrative to the one that dominated the Stanley trial. Very informative but short, could have included more information about "the activist, on-the-ground work of Colten's relatives". Fortunately Tasha Hubbard's film Nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (2019) covers this in detail. The book argues more from a historical perspective and against the myths of the founding of the canadian nation. Well worth the read.
May 11, 2024
A powerful examination of the colonial structures and systems in place that allowed Gerald Stanley to get away with murder. My heart grieves for Colten Boushie's family and friends, first for losing him and then because the "justice" system worked as intended to allow the white settler who killed him to go free. This book captures such important information about the way our colonial systems function that it should be required reading for all people in Saskatchewan and Canada.
February 17, 2021
A powerful read for anyone trying to gain an understanding of the historical context and narratives that lead to the outcome of the Stanley trial. A must read for white settler people in the prairies.
January 26, 2022
Sometimes challenging, but I think this is an important book for anyone who lives in the Canadian prairies.
October 2, 2023
It’s impressive how much history and context is fit into this relatively short book. It’s an important a read for anyone with an interest in the legal system.
January 19, 2025
A very important book. The Stanley trial was a travesty.
October 8, 2025
One million stars. Essential reading for anyone from the prairie provinces.
January 27, 2023
Mandatory reading!! Especially if you live in the prairies.
It's short and uses accessible language, even when parts are more academic. I implore you to read it
It's short and uses accessible language, even when parts are more academic. I implore you to read it
December 30, 2020
I wasn't taught anything about the colonisation of the prairies (besides the Canada-centric story of "expansion westward" that washes away colonial violence from the socials studies textbooks with euphemisms, omissions and outright lies). Starblanket does a great job of laying out the history of the post-contact prairies and the myths and policies that were weaponised to "clear" the plains. Starblanket then expertly applies this historical lens to analyse the Gerald Stanley's trial for the murder of Colten Boushie. I could do an impoverished recap of the arguments, but you should just pick up the book, it's like 100 tiny pages! Basically: the same racist shit settlers were saying about Indigenous people 150 years ago cropped up in the trial, the same stereotypes and the same assumption of white innocence and neutrality. The judicial system is still by and for property holding white dudes.
Solidly logical arguments (unlike my recap), written accessibly.
Solidly logical arguments (unlike my recap), written accessibly.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews