Decolonizing Lamanite Studies-A Critical and Decolonial Indigenist Perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID3218694
AuthorsH Simon (0000-0003-3764-0995, University of Waikato, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue6
Pages667
Publication date2025-05-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16060667
OpenAlexW4410641095
LanguageEN
References cited35

The emergence of Lamanite Studies exemplifies the need for decolonial and Indigenous-centered reevaluations of Mormon-Indigenous relations. This article advocates for the reclamation of Indigenous identity independent of the constraints imposed by Mormon doctrine. The incorporation of Indigenous genealogies into Mormon theology results in epistemic violence, disconnecting Indigenous peoples from their ancestral identities and substituting the latter with the settler/invader colonial construct of "Lamanite". This paper advocates for the decolonization of Indigenous identities within Mormonism, emphasizing the need for a radical intervention that prioritizes Indigenous sovereignty and self-definition over the maintenance of colonial categories. I present approaches and scholarship in Lamanite Studies that align with Indigenous land and spiritual repatriation, promoting the restoration of Indigenous epistemologies to Indigenous communities. Theoretical colonialism must be supplemented by grassroots initiatives that empower Indigenous communities to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities

Art · Sociology · Visual arts · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Gender Studies · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · History

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