Indigenous IR

Indigenous IR & Challenging the Western Canon

1. Course Shift: Moving Beyond the Western Canon

  • This marks a turn away from the Western canon in IR theory.

  • Previous weeks focused on scholars who challenged Eurocentric assumptions.

  • For the rest of the term, the course examines:

    • Theories that respond to, critique, or were excluded from the Western canon.

  • Upcoming topics:

    • Indigenous IR (this week)

    • Marxism–Leninism & Soviet diplomacy (next week – instructor’s research specialty)

    • Pacifism

    • Decolonial, postcolonial, and anti-colonial approaches

    • Dependency & World Systems Theory

    • Environmentalism

    • Feminism

2. Why Indigenous IR?

Key Motivation

  • Western thinkers like Hobbes and Locke used Indigenous societies as examples of:

    • “Barbarism”

    • “Uncivilized peoples”

    • The state of nature / anarchy

  • Indigenous North American societies were portrayed as violent and disorderly.

Counter-Argument

  • These portrayals are:

    • Based on selective and exaggerated European accounts

    • Often rooted in colonial bias (e.g., Amerigo Vespucci’s sensationalized descriptions).

  • Indigenous societies displayed:

    • Sophisticated diplomacy

    • Stable governance

    • Complex systems of collective security

3. Focus Case: Haudenosaunee Confederacy

(Also called the Six Nations / formerly “Iroquois Confederacy”)

Member Nations

Originally Five Nations:

  • Mohawk

  • Oneida

  • Onondaga

  • Cayuga

  • Seneca

Later addition:

  • Tuscarora (joined in 1722 after displacement)

4. The Great Law of Peace

What It Is

  • A constitution, diplomatic framework, and governing philosophy

  • Passed down orally, later recorded in writing (19th century)

  • Preserved through wampum belts (mnemonic and symbolic tools)

Origins

  • Dates debated:

    • Some traditions: late 12th century (c. 1190)

    • Other scholarship: August 31, 1142

  • Formed at Onondaga Lake (New York)

Founding Story

  • The Great Peacemaker persuades nations to end cycles of violence.

  • Hiawatha serves as his spokesperson.

  • Nations symbolically:

    • Lay down weapons

    • Unite under the Longhouse

    • Plant the Great Tree of Peace

      • Roots extend outward, inviting others to join

      • An eagle watches for threats

      • Arrows bound together symbolize unity

5. Political Structure & Governance

Leadership Qualities

  • Leaders expected to demonstrate:

    • Patience

    • Honesty

    • Empathy

    • Thoughtfulness

Selection Process (Pre-1924)

  • Clan mothers nominate candidates

  • Men deliberate and must reach consensus

  • Leadership based on merit, not coercion

⚠ Canadian government imposed an electoral system in 1924 to recognize leadership.

6. Consensus & Decision-Making

  • Consensus is central at all levels.

  • Every voice is heard; decisions must be unanimous.

  • Confederacy operates as:

    • An early form of representative democracy

    • One of the earliest democratic systems in the modern world

Grand Council Process

  • Issues circulate through nations in sequence:

    1. Mohawk

    2. Oneida

    3. Cayuga

    4. Seneca

    5. Onondaga

  • Each nation considers the issue internally.

  • Positions shared before final collective deliberation.

7. Diplomacy & International Relations

Universality of the Great Law

  • Applies not only to the Confederacy but all peoples

  • Emphasizes:

    • Equality (“all peoples are of one blood”)

    • Peace through shared rules

Inclusion of Outsiders

  • Non-member nations may:

    • Sit under the Tree of Peace

    • Participate without representation

  • Violations:

    • 1st offense: reprimand

    • 2nd offense: expulsion

8. War, Peace & Enforcement

  • War forbidden among member nations

  • External nations:

    • Diplomacy attempted first (up to three times)

    • If refused, war may be used to enforce peace

  • Even conquered nations:

    • Retain cultural, religious, and political autonomy

9. Comparison with Western IR Concepts

Security Regime

  • Some scholars argue the Confederacy functioned as:

    • A security regime (pre-dating the Concert of Europe)

    • A form of collective security

  • Maintained peace internally for centuries (1450–1775)

Challenges to Realism

  • Realist claims of universality are Eurocentric and untested

  • Indigenous systems:

    • Contradict “war of all against all”

    • Demonstrate long-term peace through institutions

10. Indigenous Diplomacy in Practice

Misunderstandings with Europeans

  • Example: Manhattan “sale”

    • Europeans thought they bought land

    • Indigenous peoples thought they were sharing access and forming a relationship

  • Reflects differing understandings of:

    • Territory

    • Ownership

    • Diplomacy

Ceremony & Symbolism

  • Diplomacy involved rituals, just like Europe.

  • Example: Pipe ceremonies

    • Signal start of negotiations

    • Emphasize trust and spiritual accountability

    • All participants bound by ceremony

11. Contemporary Indigenous IR

Modern Treaties

  • Example: Buffalo Treaty (2014)

    • Cross-border (Canada–US)

    • Environmental protection

    • Living document (expanded from 8 to 211 nations)

  • Treaties seen as:

    • Relationship-building

    • Ongoing commitments, not static contracts

12. Theoretical Implications

Kant vs Realism

  • Indigenous systems reflect:

    • Shared values

    • Negotiation over coercion

    • Peace as a primary goal

  • Kant’s “perpetual peace” existed in practice in North America long before Europe.

Key Takeaway

  • If IR theory were based on non-European histories:

    • Kantian or Grotian approaches might dominate

    • Realism might not be the default framework

13. Core Message of the Lecture

  • Indigenous IR:

    • Is under-theorized

    • Challenges Eurocentrism

    • Expands how we understand diplomacy, sovereignty, and peace

  • Shifting perspectives leads to:

    • New questions

    • Alternative explanations

    • More inclusive IR theory