Stedman's Myrmecology: Decolonizing Analogy in Suriname.

The article examines the interplay between colonialism, race, and entomology in the context of eighteenth-century Suriname, focusing on the works of naturalists Maria Sibylla Merian and John Gabriel Stedman. It highlights how Merian's observations of ants reflect a nuanced understanding of ecological relationships informed by Indigenous and enslaved peoples, contrasting with Stedman's racially charged analogies that equate enslaved individuals with pests. The author argues that Stedman's depictions reveal a colonial mindset that dehumanizes both Black bodies and ants, while also suggesting that the collective behavior of ants serves as a metaphor for resistance against colonial oppression. Ultimately, the article advocates for a decolonization of natural history by recognizing the complex relationships between human and nonhuman entities in colonial narratives. [Extracted from the article]