A social psychological examination of the empowering role of language in Indigenous resistance

Abstract

An understanding of how groups engage in sustained collective action over long periods of time (sometimes over multiple generations) must take into account sociocultural factors. We consider the role of Indigenous languages in motivating and sustaining collective action among Indigenous peoples, drawing on basic social psychological theory as well as insights from Indigenous writers. We contend that the knowledge and use of one’s Indigenous language can facilitate the psychological conditions shown to underpin interest in participating in collective action (i.e., collective identification, perceptions of injustice, collective control, and group boundary permeability). Our perspective highlights the fact that there may be unique predictors of collective action among Indigenous peoples. We discuss the importance of these ideas in light of the reality of language loss in many Indigenous groups, and call for social psychologists to increase their attention to issues of language and social justice, especially among Indigenous peoples.