Abstract
Responding to Human Trafficking empirically explores Canadian anti-trafficking responses with a critical feminist lens that troubles the sexualized and victim-focused discourse on trafficking. Kaye argues that the structural neglect of the experiences of Indigenous individuals within the anti-trafficking discourse and policy has resulted in structural domination that is founded on settler colonialism, where anti-trafficking policy is used to ensure the interests of the state and the social norms of heterosexuality and patriarchy. Kaye presents her findings and theoretical contributions as an experienced researcher who is embedded in the Canadian anti-trafficking context. The qualitative methodology employed for this book is aligned with critical feminist and sociological approaches to sensitive research; data collection was focused on crucial areas of Canada where key anti-trafficking actors are located. Through the use of thematic and critical discourse analysis, Kaye allows for the voices of research participants to be represented within the landscapes of power and inequality.
Kaye deconstructs the relationship between indigenous peoples and the Canadian state with the argument that the state seeks to retain control of the representation and experiences of indigenous individuals through the racialization of the right to “belong.” Throughout the entirety of the text, Kaye makes clear that the dominant discourse categorizes indigenous individuals as both “domestic” and “foreign” in relation to the construction of the Canadian identity. Furthermore, it is argued that this categorization within the rhetorical binaries allows for further state control and exclusion. This text thoroughly deconstructs the varied anti-trafficking, sex work, and migration discourses presented in the regions where data were collected. Kaye attempts to disentangle the anti-trafficking discourses used by government and faith-based groups to identify layers of violence that connect the social legacies of colonization and the current violence in Indigenous women’s lives. The author aims her critique of the use of this discourse at all people who are involved in anti-trafficking efforts. She asks them to consider how they may be assisting in the replication of settler colonization through the use of government or criminal justice solutions, whether unintentionally or not.
The empirical investigation in the text is needed as the spotlight grows on violence experienced by Indigenous populations. Kaye presents a rigorous methodology and provides lengthy excerpts of her primary data in the text. For those unfamiliar with the Canadian context, Kaye presents her findings with clear contextual information for regional understanding. The theoretical arguments presented align with gender studies, sociology, and social work. With strong research methods and the inclusion of critical arguments, this text would be an asset for postgraduate researchers and scholars investigating legacies of settler colonialism; this text would also complement teaching modules with the initial chapters of the book presenting clear arguments and position in the broader literature. The final chapter shifts to focus on the role of the Canadian government’s immigration regimes and its constructions of “citizens.” This narrative shift is aligned with Kaye’s central critique of governments constructed on settler colonialism. The narrative of Indigenous women, however, is temporarily abandoned, while the precarious situations of migrant workers are introduced. Following the clear narrative of colonial violence experienced by Indigenous women, the topical shift to migrant laborers left the final empirical chapter slightly disconnected. While Kaye is interested in speaking to frontline workers, the text focuses on theory and constructions of race and trafficking, which may appear to speak more to academics. Nevertheless, Kaye presents a text that transverses diverse discourses and social structures, leaving the reader with a foundational level of knowledge of trafficking and the experiences of Indigenous women.