A Little Matter of Genocide
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA , United States |
| Products | Books |
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A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas 1492 to the Present (1997) is a work authored by Ward Churchill. This book examines instances of ethnic cleansing spanning from 1492 up to modern times. Churchill draws parallels between the treatment of North American Indigenous peoples and various historical genocides, including those committed by communist regimes in Cambodia, the Ottoman Turks against Armenians, European persecution of the Roma, as well as Nazi atrocities targeting Poles and Jews.
Academic context
Churchill has engaged in discussions regarding the uniqueness of the Holocaust with historian Deborah Lipstadt. In a 1996 critique of Lipstadt’s book Denying the Holocaust, Churchill defended German philosopher Ernst Nolte, whom Lipstadt criticized for suggesting that the Holocaust was not an unparalleled event. Contrasting with Lipstadt’s view that the Holocaust stands alone in history, Churchill contends it represents one among multiple genocides. Within A Little Matter of Genocide, Churchill accuses Lipstadt of denying the genocide experienced by Native Americans, despite acknowledging her scholarly contributions. He asserts that emphasizing the Holocaust’s supposed uniqueness diminishes recognition of Native American genocide’s moral gravity and obscures its true character.[1][2]
Synopsis
The book presents an argument that settler colonialism and territorial expansion, which led to the formation of what is now the United States, systematically targeted indigenous populations for extermination. Churchill offers an extensive historical overview detailing Indigenous peoples’ experiences and their interactions with European colonizers. He maintains that violence inflicted upon Indigenous communities was not isolated but constituted an ongoing, organized genocide persisting beyond the official conclusion of colonialism. Additionally, the narrative addresses the role of United States governmental policies in this genocide, highlighting measures such as the Indian Removal Act and the compulsory assimilation enforced through American Indian boarding schools. These initiatives, according to Churchill, were intended to obliterate Indigenous cultures and societies, leaving enduring consequences on Indigenous groups within the United States and beyond. Furthermore, he discusses the four-decade hesitation by the United States to ratify the Genocide Convention.
Publishing details
- Churchill, Ward (1998). A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas 1492 to the Present. San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books. ISBN 978-0-87286-323-1.
References
- ↑ Ward Churchill, A Little Matter Of Genocide: Holocaust And Denial In The Americas 1492 To The Present (San Francisco CA: City Lights Books, 1998) 31-53. ISBN 978-0-87286-323-1 (paperback); ISBN 978-0-87286-343-9 (hardcover)).
- ↑ Ward Churchill, "Forbidding the "G-Word": Holocaust Denial as Judicial Doctrine in Canada," Archived 2008-12-31 at the Wayback Machine Other Voices 2.1 (February 2000), accessed February 13, 2007.