TY - JOUR
T1 - Are Indigenous conceptions of sovereignty as non-interference patriarchal?
AU - Kuokkanen, Rauna
AU - Lightfoot, Sheryl
AU - Starblanket, Gina
AU - Wildcat, Matthew
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The British International Studies Association.
PY - 2025/1/20
Y1 - 2025/1/20
N2 - In the field of International Relations, sovereignty refers to a state's authority to govern itself without external interference, closely tied to the principle of non-intervention. Recent scholarship has illuminated sovereignty as socially constructed and dynamic, yet non-interference remains central to its conception. Catherine MacKinnon's feminist critique exposes the patriarchal implications of fetishising non-interference, silencing marginalised voices, and perpetuating gendered power imbalances. This Forum examines whether Indigenous conceptions of sovereignty that prioritise non-interference are shaped by patriarchal ideologies, particularly through the emphasis on relationality - rooted in kinship - and the central role of consent in Indigenous understandings and practices of sovereignty. By examining the intersection of non-interference with systems of oppression, this paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of Indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and gendered relations. It concludes with a discussion of the relationship between consent, non-interference, and non-domination.
AB - In the field of International Relations, sovereignty refers to a state's authority to govern itself without external interference, closely tied to the principle of non-intervention. Recent scholarship has illuminated sovereignty as socially constructed and dynamic, yet non-interference remains central to its conception. Catherine MacKinnon's feminist critique exposes the patriarchal implications of fetishising non-interference, silencing marginalised voices, and perpetuating gendered power imbalances. This Forum examines whether Indigenous conceptions of sovereignty that prioritise non-interference are shaped by patriarchal ideologies, particularly through the emphasis on relationality - rooted in kinship - and the central role of consent in Indigenous understandings and practices of sovereignty. By examining the intersection of non-interference with systems of oppression, this paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of Indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and gendered relations. It concludes with a discussion of the relationship between consent, non-interference, and non-domination.
KW - conceptions of sovereignty
KW - gender relations
KW - gender violence
KW - Indigenous peoples
KW - Indigenous self-determination
KW - non-domination
KW - non-interference
KW - patriarchy
KW - relationality
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U2 - 10.1017/S0260210524000846
DO - 10.1017/S0260210524000846
M3 - Article
SN - 0260-2105
JO - REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
JF - REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
ER -