States Are Not the Only Sovereigns: Insights from Indigenous Studies for International Relations

The way conventional International Relations (IR) constructs the concept of sovereignty helps to reinforce the dominance of states in the international system, which perpetuates the logic of colonialism by excluding Indigenous sovereigns from full participation. Indigenous peoples challenge the hegemony of these state-centric notions by enacting their own conceptions of sovereignty to transcend state-imposed boundaries. Drawing on examples from the Inuit and Haudenosaunee nations, I describe how Indigenous peoples express sovereignty in ways that de-center the state. I assert that when IR scholars dismiss such conceptions of sovereignty, they perpetuate colonial power dynamics and foreclose the possibility of understanding the international system in deeper and more nuanced ways. Therefore, to understand international realities and stop obstructing Indigenous aspirations, IR scholars must embrace the idea that states are not the only sovereigns in the international system.