Sovereignty In Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese

Sovereignty, as described by Wilma Mankiller is “to have control over your own lands, and resources, and assets, and to have control over your own vision for the future, and to be able to absolutely determine your own destiny.”. In other words, sovereignty can refer to the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to self-governance, to make decisions about their own lands and resources, and to maintain their cultural and linguistic identities. This includes the right to self-determination and the ability to control their own destinies without interference from outside forces, including, but not limited to colonial powers. In the book Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, a young boy named Saul Indian Horse is taken from his family and forced to attend

Throughout the book, it is visible that the use of residential schools are a tool of colonization. They were used to assimilate young Indigenous children and strip them of their cultures. By separating them from their families and communities, and inducing them with physical, emotional, and sexual damage, the goal of the schools was to break down Indigenous sovereignty and replace it with a colonial identity. Regardless of the countless attempts to erase Indigenous cultural heritage, Saul is able to resist assimilation and try to reclaim his sovereignty. When Saul turns to hockey, he uses it as a way to connect with his Indigenous identity and to assert his autonomy in a world that strives to diminish him. Saul’s love and experiences with and for hockey both enable and diminish the theme of

As he grows older, Saul starts to play in leagues that are dominated by white people and home to white fans. As a result of this, Saul is faced with racism and discrimination from these people. Saul’s Indigenous heritage becomes his Achilles' heel, making him an easy target for physical violence and verbal abuse from opponents who see him as a threat. Sauls says that “They called [him] Indian Whores, Horse Piss, Stolen Pony.”(Wagamese Chapter 38). He continues, stating that “Elbows and knees were constantly flying at [him]. [He] couldn’t play a shift that didn’t include some kind of cheap shot, threat or curse.”(Wagamese Chapter 38). His love for hockey dwindles as this occurs, and with it, his sovereignty. This highlights the struggles of Indigenous people as they fight to maintain their sovereignty in a world still rife with colonialism, where their self-determination, autonomy, and agency are constantly under