Unsettling Feminism in Social Work: Toward an Indigenous Decolonial Feminism

Introduction

This research demonstrates how both feminism and social work have historically been complicit in colonial projects, perpetuating white-centered support systems while systematically oppressing Indigenous communities. Author Autumn Asher BlackDeer combines literature analysis with cultural experience to propose an Indigenous decolonial feminist framework aimed at encouraging the social work field to reexamine its justice mission.

The paper challenges the field to recognize how traditional feminist approaches have often excluded Indigenous perspectives and experiences, calling for a fundamental shift in how social justice is conceptualized and implemented in professional practice.

Theoretical Contributions

This framework emphasizes Indigenous sovereignty and collective liberation, advocating for Indigenous peoples to define and achieve social change on their own terms. It not only challenges the limitations of mainstream feminism but also provides a decolonizing pathway for social work practice.

The Indigenous decolonial feminist approach centers relationality, reciprocity, and responsibility as core principles that distinguish it from Western feminist frameworks. It acknowledges the interconnectedness of all beings and the responsibility of social workers to engage authentically with Indigenous knowledge systems and governance structures.

Implications for Practice

The paper argues that meaningful social justice requires social work to acknowledge and respond to its colonial history by moving toward Indigenous-centered decolonial feminist practice. This transformation represents both an ethical imperative and a necessary step toward institutional change.

Key practice implications include:

• Recognition of Indigenous sovereignty in all aspects of social work intervention
• Integration of traditional Indigenous knowledge systems alongside Western approaches
• Accountability to Indigenous communities rather than to colonial institutions
• Collective rather than individualistic approaches to healing and justice

Conclusion

To achieve genuine social justice, social work must confront its colonial legacy and embrace Indigenous decolonial feminist principles. This shift is not merely an ethical requirement but a fundamental prerequisite for meaningful institutional transformation that honors Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination and collective liberation.

The author’s framework offers a roadmap for practitioners committed to dismantling oppressive systems while building practices rooted in Indigenous wisdom, relationality, and resistance to ongoing colonization.