Cracking Coloniality: The Transformative Journey of Re-existence in Catherine E. Walsh's Rising Up, Living On

Cracking Coloniality:The Transformative Journey of Re-existence in Catherine E. Walsh's Rising Up, Living On Omi Salas-SantaCruz (bio) Catherine E. Walsh's Rising Up, Living On: Re-existences, Sowings, and Decolonial Cracks, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2023 In the landscape of decolonial and critical theory literature, Rising Up, Living On: Re-existences, Sowing, and Decolonial Cracks emerges as a profoundly introspective and transformative exploration of what it means to crack open the suffocating layers of coloniality. At its heart, it is an introspective investigation into the concept of "crack-labor" and the endeavor of challenging the persisting structures of coloniality. Offering a multifaceted approach to the intricate workings of colonial matrices of power, Catherine E. Walsh has presented readers with a profound commentary on agency, resistance, and resurgence. The book's central theme revolves around this idea of "cracking" coloniality—creating fissures in its structures to disrupt and challenge the deeply entrenched system of domination. As Walsh articulates, these cracks are embodied and situated and stand as testaments to acts of resistance, subjectivity, and struggle against hegemonic powers. The beauty of Walsh's approach is how she transcends traditional academic methodologies, advocating for a mode of inquiry grounded in "doing with" rather than "studying about." It is a call to be more intimate with the subject matter, more embedded in the realities being critiqued. This book is a testimony to the enduring legacy of colonialism and the ongoing labor of creating fissures and cracks that forge existences otherwise. For readers unfamiliar with the nuances of decolonial theory, Walsh offers a short and accessible (re)introduction to the concept of "coloniality" as a conceptual framework. She reminds readers that colonialism is not just a historical event but has left an enduring matrix of power that continues to influence global structures through the coloniality of power, gender, [End Page 333] and, as she argues in this book, the coloniality of Nature. The book's structure is deliberate, allowing the reader to journey through various facets of decolonial thought and crack labor. Starting with "Cries and Cracks," Walsh effectively juxtaposes cries of indignation against colonial violence with the need to disrupt systems that perpetuate it actively. She moves to "Asking and Walking," which emphasizes the process of cracking open coloniality, highlighting the importance of narratives—those passed down, those that need unlearning, and those yet to be forged. In this chapter, Walsh delves into the necessity of introspection, unlearning, and relearning. Through contrasting stories told against those that need to be unearthed and understood, she emphasizes the importance of revising earlier interpretations of histories and epistemologies. Walsh juxtaposes emotional testimonies against rigorous intellectual dissections, emphasizing narratives—those inherited, those requiring reevaluation, and those yet to be crafted. The penultimate chapter, "Undoing Nation-State," critically examines nation-states and their inherent binaries, borders, and fixed incorporations that serve as linchpins in maintaining global colonial orders. Her exploration into the nation-state, as both a product and perpetuator of coloniality, is a clarion call for reimagining geopolitical configurations. At the same time, the final chapter, "Sowing Re-existences," provides hope and direction. Walsh speaks to the acts of sowing life amidst death, celebrating the resilience and fortitude of communities continuously resisting colonial impositions and their violence. While I have briefly delved into the introductory and concluding sections of the book, I have intentionally left the middle chapter untouched for now. It is the book's crown jewel, deserving of dedicated time and reflection. Chapter 3, "Traversing Binaries and Boundaries," is a tour de force in understanding the complex matrices of coloniality that define and confine various identities and subjectivities outside the partitions of binary-based divisions and categorical boundary-oriented thinking, which I have described as binary thinking and have called towards shifting to nonbinary modes of thought as means to challenge and transcend Western-centric categories (Salas-SantaCruz 2023). In this way, Walsh joins Global South and decolonial scholars advocating for a more nuanced, historically informed approach and comprehensive research methodologies that recognize the unique experiences and challenges of people with "embodied entanglements" in postcolonial and settler-colonial contexts. [End Page 334] Delving deeper into this chapter, Walsh shows us...