Apples and Lateral Violence

I have recently been accused of being a "trading post Indian." I was called this because I work in the Provincial government and according to "Indian purists," any person working in a government job is a traitor, a thief and a corrupt individual.

Naturally, this person had no evidence and not even any knowledge of my past performance, my advocacy of Indigenous people, or any of the services I have personally rendered for communities to their great satisfaction.

This is not the first type of comment like this that I have heard. It is the first time I have had such a comment directed at me, however. Another similar curse that is used among Indigenous people is "apple." The meaning here is to be red on the outside and white on the inside.

This phenomenon is referred to as lateral violence, which is defined as "verbal, physical, or psychological violence directed from one oppressed person to others from the same oppressed group." By verbal and psychological violence I include the use of terms like "apple" and "trading post Indian," as well as behaviours like gossiping, bullying, labeling, backstabbing, etc. Lateral violence is the expression of hatred toward one another stemming from our anti-colonial anger. (See video here)

Typically, people use these intra-racist terms according to their own fundamentalism. Yes, there are fundamentalists among Indigenous people too. To these people, unless you live up to their specific definition of what an Indigenous person is supposed to be, 100%, you are an apple or a trading post Indian.

The first question you should be asking is "who are they to define what an Indigenous person ought to be?" Who are they indeed? These are the very people who decry the Federal Government of Canada for defining Indigenous identity, and yet, they do the very same thing.

Although each individual has their own specific fundamentalist image of the ideal Indigenous person, there are a few typical commonalities. Before we explore the common myths, let us first delve into the foundational philosophy behind this kind of thinking.

Moral Superiority

Indigenous people who engage in lateral violence, specifically with respect to the use of intra-racist terms like apple or trading post Indian, have a strongly held belief that white people are intrinsically bad. To them, there is no such thing as a white person who cares for the environment or thinks communally. Their belief is that white people are void of moral capacity and that their entire culture is one of greed and wanton destruction.

What follows from this varies in degree from fundamentalist to fundamentalist. For some, an Indigenous person working with white people or governments is not worthy to be a real Indigenous person, hence the term "apple". For others, it has more to do with whether an Indigenous person is following specific spiritual principles or whether they are willing to reject most forms of modern tools/conveniences.

The core of the issue is the belief that "true" Indigenous people are perfect in their behaviour and understandings and that they make no errors in judgment. White people on the whole, or even Indigenous people working for a corporation or government department (regardless of their role or capacity they were hired in) are false and opposed to culture and traditional wisdom.

In short, "true" Indigenous people are better than white people and apples who "follow the white way."

There is so much wrong with this philosophy I could write a book. I will start with a few brief points. First, it is this very same attitude of superiority that led to the genocide against Indigenous peoples in Canada in the first place. Europeans believed they were superior and enacted forced assimilation policies. In trying to ridicule others for adopting the "white way," these people are actually adopting the worst of what has been brought against Indigenous people during colonial times.

This philosophy also contradicts the many sacred and traditional teachings of Indigenous peoples in Canada. We were always taught to honour the FOUR directions, not just one. We were taught about humanity being comprised of FOUR nations, not just one. We were taught to love and respect creation and all life, not to respect most and exclude others. We were taught that each nation (Red, Yellow, Black and White) have gifts to share with one another - not this racist dogma that claims white people have no gifts to share or that they are bad.

This philosophy also idealizes the past, claiming that Indigenous people were perfect before contact. It ignores the fact that we warred with one another, we fought over territories, we committed crimes against one another, we made use of slavery. Essentially, we made mistakes as much as each of the four nations of humanity.

Fundamentalist Myths

There are many myths that I could cover, but I thought I would tackle just a few. My hope is that you will begin to ask questions the next time someone tells you who they think and Indigenous person really is.

1. True Indigenous people follow Indigenous religions/spiritualities
2. True Indigenous people only work in careers that directly serve Indigenous people
3. True Indigenous people view Provincial and Federal governments as enemies
4. True Indigenous people do not differentiate between public/civil servants and political leaders

1.  True Indigenous people follow Indigenous religions/spiritualities

This touches upon the issue of moral superiority again. It is the belief that Indigenous religions/ways are superior to the spirituality or religions of other peoples. Is Indigenous identity something you are? Or is it something you choose to be through a religious choice? If it is by choice, we open the door to non-Indigenous people claiming identity through a religious choice and thereby, morally entitled to Indigenous rights. Meanwhile, Indigenous people by birth who do not choose Indigenous religion would necessarily be denied identity and therefore, rights.

This is the natural consequence of believing this myth. It spits in the face of the reality of diversity among Indigenous people and among the message that most of our people have been sharing with non-Indigenous people around the concepts of diversity and inclusion.

2. True Indigenous people only work in careers that directly serve Indigenous people

A belief such as this denies the growth of business and entrepreneuship among Indigenous people. It limits Indigenous people to Band council jobs, nursing positions, and social workers. At the heart of the matter, does taking a position of employment that serves general public result in an Indigenous person losing their identity? The ridiculousness of this statement is clear as soon as it is read.

3. True Indigenous people view Provincial and Federal governments as enemies

This particular point is an extremist one. Certainly there are times when conflict does arise and enemies are made (Gitxsan, Oka, Caledonia, etc.), but there are also times where a true sense of partnership exists (i.e. Kelowna Accord). Unless one is willing to declare all out civil war, things are not so black and white as this myth would have one believe.

4. True Indigenous people do not differentiate between public/civil servants and political leaders

To the believers of this myth, a mail carrier or a nurse is directly responsible for residential schools, bad negotiations and the expropriation of natural resources from Indigenous territories. They see no difference between a literacy educator and the MPs responsible for decisions to the point that teaching people to read and write is a wicked thing because the educator did not properly negotiate fair deals for Indigenous peoples.

The trouble with this belief is that it tosses out programs, benefits and resources that can actually support and assist Indigenous people - and which are many times delivered by employees who are Indigenous themselves.

In short - their frustrations are misdirected in the wrong places and they end up alienting Indigenous people by destroying friends and allies.

Conclusion

Lateral violence is a destructive force that can rip communities apart, create toxic workplaces, destroy relationships, and drive Indigenous people away from their own communities. As Indigenous professionals, it is our duty to rise above this; to be professional and focused on solutions rather than on how we might sabatoge or judge other Indigenous people.

If we see others engaging in lateral violence, we need to speak out and let them know that it is not acceptable.

Am I an apple or trading post Indian? No. I am an Ojibwe professional seeking to better the lives and futures of my people and the broader Indigenous world. My path may be a different one than my accusers, but it is no less valuable.