The White Possessive

The White Possessive examines how white possession functions as a regime of power that shapes race relations in settler colonial nations, with a focus on Australia and the United States. Through analysis of law, literature, and culture, Moreton-Robinson demonstrates how Indigenous sovereignty continues to unsettle white colonial claims of ownership. The book combines critical race and whiteness studies with Indigenous knowledge to analyze specific cases and policies. Moreton-Robinson explores topics including native title rights, citizenship, and representations of Indigenous peoples in popular media and academic discourse. Drawing on her perspective as an Indigenous scholar, Moreton-Robinson traces how patriarchal white sovereignty operates through institutional structures and cultural assumptions. The work reveals deep connections between property, race, and power while challenging dominant narratives about belonging and ownership in settler colonial states. The text makes vital contributions to discussions of Indigenous rights, racial formation, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism. Through its theoretical framework linking whiteness to possession, the book provides tools for understanding contemporary struggles over sovereignty and self-determination.

Readers highlight Moreton-Robinson's analysis of how white possession operates as a cultural system in Australia and other settler colonies. Many reviews note the book's detailed examination of Indigenous sovereignty and property rights. Readers appreciated: - Clear breakdown of complex theoretical concepts - Strong historical evidence and case studies - New perspectives on colonialism and race relations - Connections between different settler societies Common criticisms: - Dense academic language that can be difficult to follow - Some repetition between chapters - Limited discussion of potential solutions Ratings: Goodreads: 4.33/5 (30 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (6 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Offers vital frameworks for understanding property and possession" - Goodreads review "Sometimes gets bogged down in academic jargon" - Amazon review "Changed how I think about Indigenous rights and sovereignty" - Goodreads review

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🔷 Author Aileen Moreton-Robinson is a Goenpul woman from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), Queensland, and was the first Indigenous Australian woman to become a professor at an Australian university 🔷 The book examines how the concept of white possession functions as the invisible yet fundamental way that sovereignty is understood in contemporary Western societies 🔷 Moreton-Robinson's work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems with critical race theory and feminist scholarship, creating new frameworks for understanding colonialism and sovereignty 🔷 The book's analysis extends beyond Australia to examine similar patterns of white possession in the United States, particularly regarding Native American land rights and sovereignty 🔷 The term "white possessive" introduced in this work has become influential in critical race studies and decolonial theory, offering a new way to understand how whiteness operates as a form of property ownership