"Indians wear red" : colonialism, resistance, and aboriginal street gangs

Comack, Elizabeth 1952- (author.). Deane, Lawrence, 1952- (author.). Morrissette, Larry, (author.). Silver, Jim (author.).

Summary: With the advent of Aboriginal street gangs, such as Indian Posse, Manitoba Warriors, and Native Syndicate, Winnipeg garnered a reputation as the "gang capital of Canada." Yet beyond the stereotypes, little is known about these gangs and the conditions that have produced them. Drawing upon extensive interviews with Aboriginal street gang members, as well as with Aboriginal women and elders, Indians Wear Red locates Aboriginal street gangs as a form of resistance to colonialism. But just as colonialism has been destructive, so too has street gang activity, including the illegal trade in drugs. Solutions lie not in the search for "quick fixes" but in decolonization: re-connecting Aboriginal people with their culture and building communities in which they can thrive, aware and proud of their identity.

Record details

ISBN: 9781552665824
Physical Description: print
x, 166 pages ; 23 cm
Publisher: Winnipeg, MB : Fernwood Publishing, [2013]
Copyright: ©2013

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	1. Poverty, street gangs and colonialism -- 2. The trauma of colonialism -- 3. The trouble with normal: the growth and culture of Aboriginal street gangs -- 4. "It's like a business, man": Aboriginal street gangs and the illegal drug trade -- 5. What can be done? Decolonizing people and spaces.