Killing the Settler to Save the Human

The Untidy Work of Unsettling Klamath River Thus Far

Laura Hurwitz, Shawn D. Bourque

Abstract

The specter of settler colonialism fills every sliver of the United States. This article studies the current moment of settler colonialism in the Karuk homeland on the Klamath River in Northwest California. Part of this moment has been the emergence of Unsettling Klamath River, a group of settlers engaging in the work of “unsettling.” Analysis and critique of this group’s political actions and internal dynamics are traced by the authors, who are also co-founding members. Specifically discussed is controversy raised by Unsettling Klamath River sending an open letter to a local commune, Black Bear Ranch, asking them to “close the portal” due to problematic consequences on Indigenous communities and suggest repatriating the land as a small contribution to decolonization and settler responsibility. The way white settler fragility manifests on the ground is analyzed. It is argued that only by separating our affinity and untangling settler identities from settler colonialism—in short, a death of the settler—might we end our complicity with the settler colonial system and potentially gain back our humanity.