Edited book: Indigenous Peoples, Crime and Harm

Call for papers

‘Indigenous Peoples, Crime, and Harm’.

Edited book

Editors: David R. Goyes (University of Oslo) and Angie Cuchimba (Nasa Indigenous People)

Publisher: Palgrave

Background

Existing explorations of Indigenous peoples in relation to issues of crime and harm have proven valuable in challenging, decentring, and renewing criminology (e.g., Cunneen and Tauri, 2017; Goyes et al., 2021). Yet, this research area remains at the margins of criminology (Deckert, 2016, 2023; Goyes and South, 2021), and many fundamental questions—such as the meaning of ‘being Indigenous’—await deeper exploration.

What does it mean to be Indigenous and how do Indigenous peoples relate to matters of crime and harm?

This edited book seeks to gather contributors from across the world to engage in constructive debate about fundamental issues regarding Indigenous peoples in connection with issues of crime and harm. The book does not seek consensus but rather diversity and depth. Key themes to be explored by the book include:

• The meaning of Indigeneity.

• Indigenous epistemologies, Indigenous cosmologies and their implications for the study of crime.

• The meaning of ‘crime’ for Indigenous peoples.

• Indigenous theories of crime.

• Causes, consequences, and types of crimes and harms against Indigenous Peoples.

• Causes, consequences, and types of crimes and harms committed by Indigenous people.

• Indigenous peoples, gender, and sexual offences.

• Indigenous systems of crime prevention.

• Indigenous systems of punishment.

• Interactions between Indigenous Peoples and state criminal justice systems.

Expression of interest

If you are interested in contributing to this collection, please send an abstract of between 120 and 200 words as soon as possible to d.r.goyes@jus.uio.no and acuchimba87@uan.edu.co (latest 1 November 2024). Complete first drafts are due September 2025 (see the full schedule below). Word length is between 7.000 and 8.000 words; the language of contributions is English (but feel free to pitch in Spanish and Portuguese); chapters can be co-authored.

Selection criteria

In selecting the contributions, we aim for geographic, ethnic, and gender diversity. Chapters (co)authored by Indigenous people will be prioritised. Additional criteria are the quality of the ideas (not necessarily measured under Western standards) and the innovativeness of the views presented (contrasted to Western standards).

Timeline

Step	Deadline
Potential contributors send abstracts	1 November 2024
Selected authors receive an invitation	1 December 2024
Online meeting with selected contributors to discuss the spirit of the collection	10 January 2025
First drafts from contributors to editors	1 September 2025
Chapters with comments from editors to contributors	1 November 2025
Revised articles from authors to editors	1 February 2026
Las round of comments from editors and revisions from authors	1 April 2026‒1 July 2026
Publication	December 2026

References

Cunneen, C., & Tauri, J. (2017). Indigenous criminology. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.

Deckert, A. (2016). Criminologists, duct tape, and Indigenous peoples: quantifying the use of silencing research methods. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 40(1), 43-62. doi:10.1080/01924036.2015.1044017

Deckert, A. (2023). Neo-Colonial Criminology 10 Years On: The Silence Continues. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy. doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.3076

Goyes, D. R., Abaibira, M. A., Baicué, P., Cuchimba, A., Ñeñetofe, D. T. R., Sollund, R., . . . Wyatt, T. (2021). Southern Green Cultural Criminology and Environmental Crime Prevention: Representations of Nature Within Four Colombian Indigenous Communities. Critical Criminology, 29(3), 469-485. doi:10.1007/s10612-021-09582-0

Goyes, D. R., & South, N. (2021). Indigenous Worlds and Criminological Exclusion: A Call to Reorientate the Criminological Compass. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 10(3), 115-128. doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.1983