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Now We Are Indígenas! Hegemony and indigeneity in the Bolivian Andes

Burman, Anders LU (2014) In Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies 9(3). p.247-271
Abstract
This article explores the ever-shifting semantics and semiotics of the concept “indígena” in the Bolivian Andes, and argues that “indigeneity” is charged with different meanings by different actors in changing contexts of territorial and social struggles and state governance.

The article focuses on the discourse and politics of the indigenous Andean organization CONAMAQ and its response to changing pressures on indigenous territories and resources caused by the nation-building process started in 2006 by the Evo Morales administration. The article identifies a recent conflict in the Bolivian lowlands between indigenous organizations and the Bolivian State as one decisive moment in a broader historical and political process, a... (More)
This article explores the ever-shifting semantics and semiotics of the concept “indígena” in the Bolivian Andes, and argues that “indigeneity” is charged with different meanings by different actors in changing contexts of territorial and social struggles and state governance.

The article focuses on the discourse and politics of the indigenous Andean organization CONAMAQ and its response to changing pressures on indigenous territories and resources caused by the nation-building process started in 2006 by the Evo Morales administration. The article identifies a recent conflict in the Bolivian lowlands between indigenous organizations and the Bolivian State as one decisive moment in a broader historical and political process, a moment when two divergent projects of “lo indígena” emerged in the Bolivian Andes: one hegemonic state project of indigeneity and one counter-hegemonic project of indigeneity. The article shows that this was not the first time in Bolivian history that a hegemonic project from above was responded to from below with a counter-hegemonic project. And, what is more, the article argues that hegemonic projects actually tend to create the spaces that are necessary for counter-hegemonic projects to emerge and for new political visions and subjectivities to take form. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Indigeneity, hegemony, counter-hegemony, CONAMAQ, Aymara, Bolivia
in
Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies
volume
9
issue
3
pages
247 - 271
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:84921531177
ISSN
1744-2222
DOI
10.1080/17442222.2014.959775
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9439c284-b9f4-4846-93ef-bb45f0c36b64 (old id 4937143)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:37:07
date last changed
2022-04-27 23:48:46
@article{9439c284-b9f4-4846-93ef-bb45f0c36b64,
  abstract     = {{This article explores the ever-shifting semantics and semiotics of the concept “indígena” in the Bolivian Andes, and argues that “indigeneity” is charged with different meanings by different actors in changing contexts of territorial and social struggles and state governance. <br/><br>
The article focuses on the discourse and politics of the indigenous Andean organization CONAMAQ and its response to changing pressures on indigenous territories and resources caused by the nation-building process started in 2006 by the Evo Morales administration. The article identifies a recent conflict in the Bolivian lowlands between indigenous organizations and the Bolivian State as one decisive moment in a broader historical and political process, a moment when two divergent projects of “lo indígena” emerged in the Bolivian Andes: one hegemonic state project of indigeneity and one counter-hegemonic project of indigeneity. The article shows that this was not the first time in Bolivian history that a hegemonic project from above was responded to from below with a counter-hegemonic project. And, what is more, the article argues that hegemonic projects actually tend to create the spaces that are necessary for counter-hegemonic projects to emerge and for new political visions and subjectivities to take form.}},
  author       = {{Burman, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1744-2222}},
  keywords     = {{Indigeneity; hegemony; counter-hegemony; CONAMAQ; Aymara; Bolivia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{247--271}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies}},
  title        = {{Now We Are Indígenas! Hegemony and indigeneity in the Bolivian Andes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17442222.2014.959775}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/17442222.2014.959775}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}