Nathaniel Vasquez

Professor Villanueva
English 1C
10/29/15
The Effects of Decolonization: Individual and Community
The effects of de-colonization on both the individual and the community can vary and
strengthen in magnitude depending on the way they are dispersed amongst several aspects of
society. From the Canadian tribes up north to the impoverished Indian communities throughout
the American midwest, these effects still resonate profoundly to this day. Without any form of
rehabilitation, they are destined for regression and being placed into a state of limbo which
leaves individuals and indigenous communities trying to find peace and bridged mindsets
between the past and the present cultures in the process of decolonization.

There must be a way to have the minority voice be prominent in all rungs of the societal
ladder in order to have greater equality of opinion and cooperation. An example of this would be
the structural disparity for tribal communications when it comes to daily decisions. As Yellow
Nelson states, One of the things our leaders said is that if you ignore this minority voice it will
create conflict in your community and this conflict is going to create a breakdown...it will
endanger how we cooperate, how we use community as a process...as a cooperative unit, a unit
that knows how we think of ourselves (69-70). The important thing to recall about the
traditions of Indigenous tribes is that they rely heavily on the basis of cooperation and listening
to one anothers ideas to formulate a greater framework of efficiency for their society to work.
From decisions involving architectural degradation in the a village to a tainted water supply,
these kinds of issues were remedied swiftly by the way the minority voice points out the flaws in

the societal structure. It should be noted that there is a pre-existing identity of indigenous
peoples that is present when it involves the ethical and traditional protocols that are conducted in
order to preserve their way of life. This provides greater support for both the individual and
community as one of the effects of decolonization: reviving communal practices to re-invigorate
their lost identity.

Another example would be the African tribes that are focused on changing their way of life in
order to conserve the necessary aspects of their traditions. The San Bushmen, to be more
precise, have been trying to refine their friendly tactics with their people and others in order to
establish a better sense of togetherness with everyone in order to bridge the modern and past
cultures together. As Nelson states, The San Bushmen ancestors have obviously been honed, to
a fine point of artistry, that method of getting along with each other. One, of course, is not
dealing in secrecy; opening up your heart to each other, understanding where another persons
coming from when theyre feeling badly, and realizing that it depends upon you to take that
persons pain seriously and try to do something about it (Nelson 76). The great emphasis on
empathy is a recurring theme that is prominent through all linings of this societal group, bringing
them greater chance of rewarding experience to solve issues and change harmful circumstance
with effective cooperation. Many individuals in our society today are quick to be immersed in
the inferiority complex, displacing others who may share the same dreams and struggles instead
of joining up with them to create a group effort. There is a lack of acknowledgement made
towards the way we approach the degradation of the environment as well, leaving the individual
and community no choice but to assess their situation and what has become of their to fend for
themselves and have a smaller chance of preserving what already exists in our lives both at home

and in nature. As long as we keep continuing our harmful practices, this positive feedback loop
will keep pushing us into our self-made downward spiral.

There is another example that is present from Pagans of the Promised Land which talks about
the mental deprivation that occurs due to the process of negation that occurred by the colonizers.
As Newcomb states, By means of their mental abilities, including their power of judgement,
they fully intended to conquer, rework, and redesign pagan and heathen lands of North
America for the Glory of God(Newcomb 52). This results from the colonizers belief of being
the stronger and superior individuals which further displaces the indigenous tribes into their
ridiculed lifestyles. This also causes them trouble of having any form of growth from the
dangers of post traumas by colonization. This then affects their chances of decolonizing by
having a greater chance of re-discovering themselves and the identity of their traditional cultures.
This then leads me to the next example that is present in the Pagans of the Promised Land which
details the shrewd behavior the U.S. Supreme Court committed in order to preserve the lands
they already owned, leaving the Indigenous tribes to further internalize feelings of confusion and
desperation. As Newcomb states, A mental process of negation can be used to conceptualize a
diminishment or reduction in the size, amount, or extent of something. Thus, Chief Justice John
Marshall was using a cognitive process of negation when he claimed Indian rights to complete
sovereignty as independent nations had been diminished by Christian European discovery
(Newcomb 103). They were imaginatively diminished and by that token mentally diminished
because of the Americans belief in superiority based on their advancements, ethical behaviors,
and other needless modifications. They didnt quite apply, however, because of their inability to
see the indigenous peoples unique customs and traditions as being meaningful in their own
ways. By depriving them of their own original mode of learning and thought and instilling them

with an invigorating yet oppressive mindset, it dilutes their heritage with harmful ideas and
concepts that dont truly garner support of their culture.

A great factor that reciprocates the issues that are going on in the lands here in the United
states are also in other places as well, which speaks strongly of how much colonialism is still felt
strongly around the corners of the globe. An example of this would be the aim of how
individuals can reclaim and reconstitute the core spirituality features that are innovate and can
provide the backbone for African theological education for the decolonization of the mind,
without romanticizing or masking harmful aspects of African life. As Kaunda states, The
decolonial thinking within African theology can provide a space for theological education as a
critical interpretation of being African. This mode of being is one that is embedded and
embodied in a materio-spirituality-centred form of thinking, which draws resources from
indigenous experiences, worldviews and understandings, without being forced to think through
foreign instruments (Kaunda 75, Denial of African Agency ebscohost). To provide some
perspective, the lifestyle that Africans have gone through for the last 50 years was not glamorous
to say the least. They suffered from the oppression of apartheid in many parts of South Africa,
displacing them further into turmoil caused by the Afrikaner National Party. It surely doesnt
help to create further inequality by causing separation endorsed by the very people being
persecuted from metal to spiritual levels. This influence individuals to further beleive into the
stigmas and stereotypes that are associated with themselves and with the colonizers that have
inhabited their lands. Another supportive idea would be the degradation of values and virtues
held by South Africans which as slowly began to creep its way into the lowest rungs of their
society to the highest. As Philip Higgs states, In traditional African life then, a person depends
on others just as much as others depend on him or her. In fact, in terms of an African

communitarian view, the individuals life and fulfilment is only to be found in community with
others and gates any possibility of a two-way conversation between researcher and community.
Then there are some liberal African communitarianists, who in confronting issues such as
industrialisation, globalisation, information technology, and multiculturalism, try to
accommodate values assigned to individuality in the research process. (Higgs 43). What has
happened here in Africa is a clear example of the way colonialism has sunk its claws into
countries that are vulnerable to extreme paradigm shifts, causing total change from a more
communal approach to an individualistic mentality. As long as there continues to believers in
these ideas, no matter how small the sample size, the concepts will spread like a wildfire. As far
as I know, there seems to be a disparity that only continues to grow considering that both the
intellectuals of African society and the middle/lower class types continue to grow farther apart.

To bring in another perspective, there is a neuro-decolonization idea that has been created and
argued for the benefit of producing more mindfulness of the individual which can then spread to
the community as a whole. As Michael Yellow Bird states, Neuro-decolonization is an
emerging science that examines how the human brain functions in a colonial situation and how
the use of specific mind and brain activities can change important neural networks to enable one
to overcome the myriad effects of colonialism and Mindfulness will enable us to reduce our
negativity and improve our brains plasticity. It will increase our compassion, patience, creativity
emotional intelligence, and courage. Through these practices we will gain a greater
understanding of how our mind and brain work, especially as we confront the stressors of
colonialism (Yellow Bird 81). It is amazing to think of the kind of advancements that can be
made if each and every individuals associated with Indigenous peoples can be able to tap into the
suppressed wells of original knowledge. If not, then there is truly a diminished possibility of

resurgence for improving the colonized condition of the indigenous peoples. Improvement
requires systematic and purposeful engagement in a long term and sustained manner which
desires contemplative practices which encourages meaning, purpose, positivity, and well-being.
The decision to remain ignorant in the face of change is self-harm in terms of relegating the
mindsets of many. Another example would be the biological ramifications of the traumas of
colonialism which, if left untreated, can be indefinitely embedded within the minds of the
oppressed. As Yellow Bird states, An important way to change our brains negative
experiences, beliefs, and memories is to intentionally practice mindfulness. Recall that
mindfulness is a powerful strategy in the tool-box of neuo-decolonization. By engaging in
mindfulness we can bbecome intentionally aware of our experincess, thoughts, and feelings as
they unfold in our practice (Yellow Bird 76). There is a rift that will continue to grow unless
there is self-awareness that can be established. Learning and growing with experiences from
various findings of the science of neuro-decolonization such as neuroplasticity is a necessary
precursor for the growth of indigenous tribes. It will allow individuals to be less reactive to the
oppressive conditions of the colonial traumas and be more creative in finding solutions to the
dilemma they face. For each and every individual who experiences this enlightenment, it will
multiply tenfold and eventually trickle down to the rest of the indigenous community.

There are varying stages of decolonization that contribute to the capabilities of individuals
who are within indigenous communities. An example of this would be Poka Laenuis remarks
discussing the impact of some of the stages, one of which focuses on the rediscovery and
recovery of the indigenous peoples identity. As Poka Laenui states, One of the dangers in this
phase is the elevation of form over substance of dealing with a traditional culture from the
perspective of a foreign culture. Indigenous peoples themselves can abuse their own culture,

especially when they have been so long and completely separated from the practice or
appreciation of their traditional culture that they now see and treat this culture from the
perspective of the foreign one (Laenui). This strongly affects the way decolonization affects the
individual and the community, prompting the individual to immerse within the parameters of the
foreign culture and influence, further supplanting the tradition and indigenous knowledge of the
tribes as a whole. There is also the matter of falling into the foreigners concept of the
indigenous person, a representation that is grossly exaggerated and mentally affects the wiring
of an true indogenous persons knowledge of their heritage. In addition to this, decolonization
does not always equate positive results for the community. A good example of this would be the
experiences my father was delighted to share which concerned the experiences he had as a child
during the Sandinista Revolution of Nicaragua which began in 1978. From my fathers
perspective, It was already had growing up in a place as dangerous as the Barrio Oriental. But
when the Sandinistas began their claim for redemption, they eventually took out the dictatorship
and put their own socialist regime. But a new group named the Contras werent exactly happy
with their plans, so they decided to initiate a new resistance against the new form of government.
But all it did was set new, dangerous wheels in motion, leaving many in the impoverished places
to die. I lost cousins and other relatives close to me which also doesnt include childhood friends
who were there for me since I was a toddler. Eventually news came to my house that myself and
my brothers were drafted to fight for the Sandinistas, which was the last thing my parents
wanted. So we decided to leave the country, leaving behind everything we ever knew for a new
and fresh start in America (Jeovany Vasquez, personal communication, October 24 2015).
These are the kinds of experiences that my father not only suffered from, but many others who
had trouble reclaiming their identities native to their homeland because of the constant shift of

governance and the lack of re-discovery, despite the action stage being made without much of
a true representation of the peoples needs being met.

Lastly, there is an image that depicts the colonization of Africa which profoundly reveals how
much the movements influence spread throughout the continent:

This image reveals all the aspects of the two cultures, indigenous and westernized, that
emphasizes just how different the two are. They stand in stark contrast with one another, the
indigenous diet clearly showing more promise of health and well being than the western culture.
Sadly, it has been ousted simply because early on colonizers steadily desensitized the indigenous
peoples from their own practices and beliefs, preventing their wisdom and experiences from
passing down to their younger generations.

In conclusion, I believe that the effects of de-colonization have only began to show their true
colors. There are still signs of colonial traumas that are present to this day, but the remedy to this
situation will come with more time and more involvement by individuals who seek drastic

change. It takes the right cognitive ability, mindful practices, societal awareness, and other
important facets that are key to rejuvenating indigenous peoples minds with proper education of
the past, present, and future states of indigenous tribes and societies.

Works Cited
Bird, Michael. "Neurodecolonization: Using Mindfulness Practices." For Indigenous Minds
Only: A Decolonization Handbook. Santa Fe: School for Advanced Research, 2012. pg. 76. Print.

Bird, Michael. "Neurodecolonization: Using Mindfulness Practices." For Indigenous Minds

Only: A Decolonization Handbook. Santa Fe: School for Advanced Research, 2012. pg. 81. Print.

Digital image. Notes from Aztlan. WordPress, 18 Jan. 2014. Web. Sept.-Oct. 2015.

Higgs, Philip. "African Philosophy and the Decolonisation of Education in Africa: Some Critical
Reflections." Educational Philosophy and Theory 44 (2012): 37-55. Print.

Kaunda, Chammah J. "The Denial of African Agency: A Decolonial Theological Turn." Black
Theology Black Theol. 13.1 (2015): 73-92. Print.

Laenui, Poka. "Colonization and Decolonization." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 29
Oct. 2015.

Nelson, Melissa K. "Where Is the Holy Land." Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a
Sustainable Future. Rochester: Bear, 2008. Pg. 69-70. Print.

Nelson, Melissa K. "Peace Technologies from the San Bushmen of Africa." Original
Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future. Rochester: Bear, 2008. Pg. 76.
Print.

Newcomb, Steven T. "The Mental Process of Negation." Pagans in the Promised Land:
Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. Golden: Fulcrum Pub., 2008. pg. 52. Print.

Newcomb, Steven T. "The Mental Process of Negation." Pagans in the Promised Land:
Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. Golden: Fulcrum Pub., 2008. pg. 103. Print.

Vasquez, Jeovany. "Effects of Sandinistas." Personal interview. 25 Oct. 2015.