Decolonizing psychology through struggles for land.

Area of Science:

• Decolonial Studies
• Indigenous Psychology
• Community Psychology
• Critical Geography

Background:

• The colonial concept of 'terra nullius' (land without a master) facilitated global land dispossession.
• Contemporary coloniality persists through resource extraction, development, and suppression of resistance, decimating Indigenous connections to land.
• In South Africa, legacies of colonialism and apartheid endure, with land remaining a commodity and decolonization struggles centering on land rights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the role of psychology in supporting land struggles within the context of ongoing coloniality.
• To explore how psychological work can aid communities in articulating and communicating their rights and fostering epistemic freedom.

Main Methods:

• Participatory documentary filmmaking as a method of psychological intervention and collaboration.
• Collaborative work with the Thembelihle and Nana's Farm communities in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Critical reflection on psychological practices within the context of land rights activism.

Main Results:

• Psychology can provide resources to help articulate and communicate land struggles effectively.
• Psychological support can empower activists by creating spaces for reflection and epistemic freedom.
• Participatory documentary films served as a tool for community engagement and knowledge production.

Conclusions:

• Decolonizing Indigenous psychological practices are essential for addressing land struggles.
• Psychology has a vital role in supporting emancipatory struggles for land rights and challenging coloniality.
• Despite its potential, psychological work in this area faces challenges within the 'planetary turn'.