‘Everything We Do Is About Our History’: Indigenous Resurgence and Its Critique of History

The role of history in perpetuating settler colonialism is well documented. However, the manner in which Indigenous people draw on the past to resist this oppressive structure remains undertheorized. An anthropological approach is needed to appraise how Indigenous people entwine past and present in the context of Indigenous resurgence. I illustrate this by drawing on the concept of historicity as well as ethnographic fieldwork conducted among ‘Khoisan revivalists’ in South Africa. I focus on how activists, academics, and artists have criticized popular and academic representations of the 17th century Khoisan woman Krotoa. These critiques, manifested through, among others, protests, theatrical performances, and the creation of alternative historical narratives, underscore the pursuit of healing, existential orientation, and empowerment that is characteristic of Indigenous resurgence. I conclude by analysing the tensions between this critique of history and conventional academic historiography, with particular attention to concepts of truth, objectivity, and Indigenous authorship.