During a pro-Palestinian event organized by the anti-capitalist Native American advocacy group, the Red Nation, University of Minnesota liberal arts professor Melanie Yazzie ignited controversy with her statements advocating to "dismantle" and "decolonize" America.
Yazzie, a co-host of the Red Nation podcast "Red Power Hour," made a series of provocative remarks during the event, drawing connections between the US and Israeli occupations while endorsing the dismantling of what she characterized as the "violent settler project" in the United States.
In her address, Yazzie emphasized the responsibility of individuals within the United States to actively contribute to the process of decolonization, arguing that such efforts would have global ramifications. She asserted that the US represents the "greatest predator empire" in history and called for its withdrawal from various regions worldwide.
Expressing a desire for the US to withdraw from areas such as Palestine and North America, Yazzie used the term "Turtle Island" to describe the latter. Additionally, she criticized liberalism, associating it with imperialism and colonialism, categorizing it as "trash." Yazzie encouraged the audience to resist what she perceives as the oppressive forces of colonialism and imperialism, rejecting liberalism as a valid form of resistance.
Addressing their "Palestinian relatives," Yazzie characterized the US as a "violent settler project" and asserted that she and her comrades possess the "moral authority" to oppose it "as the original people" of America.
Stating that "decolonization" is crucial "to save us as a species” and “the planet,” Yazzie concluded her remarks by calling for the "dismantling of the United States," eliciting applause from the audience.
