The Necropolitical Order: Indigenous Marginality and Sovereign Power in Settler Colonialism

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of the necropolitical order as it manifests within the context of settler colonialism, focusing on the relationship between Indigenous marginality and sovereign power. Drawing on the work of scholars such as Achille Mbembe, Patrick Wolfe, and Aileen Moreton-Robinson, we argue that settler colonialism operates as a distinct form of necropower, one that seeks to eliminate Indigenous peoples not only physically but also culturally and politically.

The paper analyses how land dispossession, genocide, legal frameworks, and ongoing systemic inequalities function as mechanisms of necropolitical control, producing and maintaining Indigenous marginality. We explore how settler states assert sovereignty through the control of life and death, shaping the life chances of Indigenous populations and limiting their ability to exercise self-determination. Furthermore, the paper examines Indigenous resistance movements and decolonial struggles as forms of counter-necropower, challenging the settler colonial order and asserting Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination. This paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the ongoing struggles for Indigenous rights and justice by analysing the necropolitical dimensions of settler colonialism.