Science, Colonialism, and Indigenous Peoples: The Cultural Politics of Law and Knowledge

285 Pages·2009·1.85 MB·English

by  Laurelyn Whitt

This page intentionally left blank
SCIENCE,COLONIALISM,ANDINDIGENOUSPEOPLES
At the intersection of indigenous studies, science studies, and legal studies
lies a tense web of political issues of vital concern for the survival of indige-
nousnations.Numeroushistoriansofsciencehavedocumentedthevitalrole
of late-eighteenth- and nineteenth-century science as a part of statecraft, a
means of extending empire.This book follows imperialisminto the present,
demonstratinghowpursuitofknowledgeofthenaturalworldimpacts,andis
impactedby,indigenouspeoplesratherthannation-states.
In extractive biocolonialism, the valued genetic resources and associated
agricultural and medicinal knowledge of indigenous peoples are sought,
legallyconvertedintoprivateintellectualproperty,transformedintocommodi-
ties, and then placed for sale in genetic marketplaces. Science, Colonialism,
andIndigenousPeoplescriticallyexaminesthesedevelopments,demonstrating
howcontemporaryrelationsbetweenindigenousandwesternknowledgesys-
temscontinuetobeshapedbythedynamicsofpower,thepoliticsofproperty,
andtheapologeticsoflaw.
LaurelynWhittreceivedaPh.D.inPhilosophy,withaspecializationinPhi-
losophy of Science, from the University of Western Ontario. She teaches
Native Studies and Philosophy at Brandon University and has held visiting
appointments in the Department of Maori Studies, University of Auckland;
theDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyStudies,CornellUniversity;the
UniversityofNotreDameLawSchool;andOsgoodeHallLawSchool.Profes-
sorWhittisthecoauthor(withAlanW.Clarke)of TheBitterFruitofAmerican
Justiceand the author of Interstices,a collectionof poetrythat won the 2005
HollandPoetryPrize.

Science, Colonialism, and
Indigenous Peoples
THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF LAW
AND KNOWLEDGE
Laurelyn Whitt
BrandonUniversity
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore,
São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521119535
© Laurelyn Whitt 2009
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the
provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part
may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2009
ISBN-13 978-0-511-65156-4 eBook (NetLibrary)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-11953-5 Hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy
of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
ThisbookisdedicatedtoWaereteNorman.
Etehoaonga¨ wa¨hinewha¨nuioteao,
takotomaira¨ ito¨ wakaotemate.
Etekarangamaha,
etekaipupuriitemanawahineoteTaiTokerau,
moemaira¨ iwaengainga¨ koiwioo¨uma¨tua,tu¨puna.
Katangitonuatura¨ mo¨ terirongahoroatu,
ka¨horeneiitatarikiarongoano¨
itetangiatep¨ıp¨ıwharauroaotekoanga,
itetangiateta¨tarakihioteraumati.
Kuamoera¨ totinana,
kuawhakangaroatutowairuakituaoTeArai,
kituaatuoTeReinga,
kiHawaikiwairua.
Takotomaira¨,moeatemoengaroaeWaireti,
temoengate¨ whakaarahia.
Paima¨rire.
–PatuHohepa
Thedreamofreasondidnottakepowerintoaccount.
1
–PaulStarr
1 PaulStarr,TheSocialTransformationofAmericanMedicine(NewYork:BasicBooks,1982):3.
Contents
Preface pageix
Acknowledgments xi
FirstWords xiii
PARTI. BIOCOLONIALISMASIMPERIALSCIENCE 1
1 ImperialismThenandNow 3
2 IndigenousKnowledge,Power,andResponsibility 29
3 Value-NeutralityandValue-Bifurcation:TheCultural
PoliticsofScience 57
PARTII. THEHUMANGENOMEDIVERSITYPROJECT:ACASESTUDY 81
4 TheRhetoricofResearchJustification 84
5 IndigenistCritiquesofBiocolonialism 105
PARTIII. LEGITIMATION:THERULEANDROLEOFLAW 133
6 TheCommodificationofKnowledge 136
7 IntellectualPropertyRightsasMeansandMechanism
ofImperialism 157
8 TransformingSovereignties 179
Conclusion–ThePoliticsofKnowledge:Resistance
andRecovery 219
Bibliography 225
Index 255
vii