LAUSR

political leaders to distract from extractive policies, it nevertheless contributes to Indigenous narratives of ancestral land reclamation. For scholars of Indigenous studies, this book offers a valuable template for understanding issues surrounding Indigenous and ancestral land claims. In its purest form Sentient Lands is a pointed analysis of the dual ontologies that emerge as the Mapuche people seek restitution of their ancestral lands. The depth of research and theory contained in Giminiani’s writings warrants multiple readings, as one’s understanding is likely to be enhanced with each additional read. Students of anthropology, history and geography will find the text challenging, but will undoubtedly develop a stronger theoretical foundation after a careful analysis of Sentient Lands. The concept of sentience in the land may be difficult to contextualise within the language of legal and political frameworks but it is critical to the discussion of Indigenous land reclamation. Giminiani explains the Mapuche people’s understanding that ‘land contains within it the present and past relations that make a person unique’ (p. 203). Furthermore, as we understand our ability as humans to feel for the land, we begin to understand how the land can in turn respond towards humans.