In Decolonizing Feminism: Challenging Connections between Settler Colonialism and Hetero-patriarchy, the authors argue that colonialism, and specifically settler-colonialism where the settlers come to stay, happen through both systemic public acts of violence (e.g., control, labour exploitation), but also more intimate ways (assimilation, cultural erasure, sexual identity policing, linguistic oppression). I think this idea connects to the "everyday-ness of decolonization" mentioned earlier, and how resistance must be grounded in local activities and connections with queer Indigenous people, as much on a larger scale. Otherwise, we risk Indigenous erasure and the enforcement of colonial ideas of "progress."

This is an interesting point because it reminds me of the romanticization of social movements. This romanticization often views the process of liberatory struggles through an idealized and oversimplified lens, and overlooks internal conflicts and flaws. This means that progress is only measured through public-facing spectacles/displays of justice, rather than something that happens simultaneously behind closed doors and isn't easily televisual. In regards to this text, a romanticization of these struggles can often dismiss intellectual labour and progress that takes place in unconventional spaces such as within families, homes, and community spaces, or even within ourselves. The authors are trying to make the point that struggling for liberation and decolonialization isn't a one-size-fits-all-approach.

This is a central theme: the reframing of "queer" beyond its initial identity label. Most of my peers think that queer describes a particular sexual orientation or identity. But to be queer is defined through practices and actions that are inherently anti-oppressive.

This reminds me of a quote from bell hooks, where hook's describe queer as "the self that is at odds with everything around it and has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live." In this way, queerness is not a sexual identity but a method of moving through the world, a method that involves self-creation in opposition to hetero-normativity and patriarchy.

This is the central theme of this piece of work; of how decolonization can take place within intimate spaces such as our communities, families, within friendships, and our everyday work. As emphasized by the authors, decolonial practices must first take place within our private, personal experiences, before they can take shape through our laws, policies, and systems. The latter can be a slow process, but the former can start today.