(p. 44). Russians who set about exploring and invaded the traditional territories of Alaska Indigenous Peoples regarded them as “uncivilized native tribes” (Gustafson, 1994) and “savages” (AlaskaWeb.org). Decolonizing violence begins with an understanding that some groups claim that they are exempt from the commission of violence while others are not. Societies throughout the world, regardless of race, color, social class, religious beliefs, or geography, have throughout their history, engaged in acts of interpersonal and structural violence – often bloody and brutal. In his national bestseller, “War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning,” veteran war correspondent Chris Hedges (2002) observes that, “Civil war, brutality, ideological intolerance, conspiracy, and murderous repression are part of the human condition – indeed almost the daily fare for many but a privileged minority” (p. 13). What is violence? Most of us know violence when we see or personally experience it. Even babies, little children, and family pets whom we may regard as not having the conceptual intelligence to understand violence, react in horror and fear when they see it occurring. Children cry, scream, and freeze, while dogs bark and may attack; and cats…well they mostly just run and hide from the situation. The online Oxford Living Dictionary defines violence as “Behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.” The World Health Organization defines violence as: The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation. The WHO goes on to report that: Each year, more than a million people lose their lives, and many more suffer non-fatal injuries, as a result of self-inflicted, interpersonal or collective violence. Overall, violence is among the leading causes of death worldwide for people 21
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