In Colonial Lives of Property Brenna Bhandar examines how modern property law contributesampampampnbspto the formation of racial subjects in settler colonies and to the development of racialampampampnbspcapitalism. Examining both historical cases and ongoing processes of settler colonialism in Canada Australia and Israel and Palestine Bhandar shows how the colonial appropriation of indigenous lands depends upon ideologies of European racial superiorityampampampnbspas well as upon legal narratives that equateampampampnbspcivilized life with English concepts of property. In this way property law legitimates and rationalizes settler colonial practices while it racializes those deemed unfit to own property.