Interrogating Settler Narratives of Erasure in the Schatz Tree Farm Archives

Authors

• Sangeeta Sarkar, Cal Poly HumboldtFollow

Abstract

In 1987, L. W. Schatz donated a 385-acre parcel of land to Cal Poly Humboldt to be used as an experimental station, outdoor classroom, and demonstration area for forestry educators and students. Previous student research and other institutional narratives have extensively documented the history of this land from a settler perspective. However, this documentation contains few mentions of the Indigenous history of the landscape. Through literature review and archival research, this paper critically analyzes settler colonial narratives around the Schatz Tree Farm and the ways in which they contribute to Indigenous erasure. The predominant forms of narrative erasure in settler colonial histories of the Tree Farm include Patrick Wolfe’s logic of elimination, historically locating Indigenous peoples in the past tense, and the minimization of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). This paper argues that in order for Cal Poly Humboldt to actualize its stated commitments to decolonization, the university must return the Schatz Tree Farm to Indigenous stewards.

Recommended Citation

Sarkar, Sangeeta () "Interrogating Settler Narratives of Erasure in the Schatz Tree Farm Archives," IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt: Vol. 9, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/ideafest/vol9/iss1/4