Colonialization and Crime: Contemporary Consequences of Invasion on Indigenous Peoples in Rural Places

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between crime and the hegemony ofstates on territories that had previously not belonged or been under the influence of those states. Although this process predates the Greek invasions of the Classic Era, the emphasis here will be upon post-Columbian expansion. The contention of the paper is that colonialization, the occupation of foreign lands and the imposition of political, economic and social domination, created social conditions that are fundamental to the understanding of modern crime, particularly among Indigenous Peoples. The term colonialization is used synonymously with the terms immigration, invasion and settlement used by other authors. Colonialization emphasizes political, economic and cultural imposition by a colonial nation rather than the mere introduction of immigrants, that is, colonization, to occupied territory. Colonists refer to immigrants, temporary or permanent, to the colonized territory. Colonization includes mass migrations of newcomers setting up colonies as the primary demographic entities of the territory and the token representatives of the colonial power. The observations in this paper are solely those of the author. They do not reflect beliefs or policies of any institutions with which the author is affiliated.