Perspectives

Historical perspective

In the text Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World, Niall Ferguson talks about the “ ‘ethnic cleansing’ of indigenous peoples” (p. 190, l. 23). This is most likely an allusion to the relationship between English settlers …

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Textual perspective

To have a better understanding of the process of “ethnic cleansing” mentioned in Ferguson’s book excerpt, we advise you to look at the article “Death by Civilization” by Mary Annette Pember. In the article, Pember talks about the history of Native American boarding schools, which were run by Christian organizations in the US. The article shows how the Native American boarding schools were places of abuse and terror for Native American children, who were forced to give up their cultural identities through physical and psychological violence. Although the article does not concern the British Empire’s ill-treatment of indigenous people, it still shows how global powers – like America – have been the cause of injustice for indigenous populations. 

Your textbook suggests that you have a look at the short story “The Gentlemen of the Jungle” by Jomo Kennyatta which shows another …