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Indigenism is a theory and practice which places indigenous struggle for autonomy at the center of its work as well as draws inspiration and insight from the lessons of indigenous peoples. The term has been popularized by the radical scholar and Native American Ward Churchill in writings such as the essay I Am Indigenist and the book From a Native Son : Selected Essays on Indigenism.

While Churchill has helped popularize the term, the word traces its origin back to Mexican anthropologist and activist Guillermo Bonfil Batalla who used the term indigenismo in his writings on Latin America. The idea of elevating indigenous issues and looking back to ingenous forms of organization gained much strength in Mexico, particularly in the 1930s during Lázaro Cárdenas bid for the presidency. Currently indigenismo is taking a prominent role in the theory and practice of the Zapatistas in Mexico and the various resistance movements in Bolivia.

A prominent argument in the field of indigenism is that unless the issue over indigenous land and autonomy is resolved, any sort of movement will remain colonialist and thus indigenous rights and first nation sovereignty must be central in any work towards a society free of all oppression.

[edit] Principles

Batalla writes that there are six fundamental demands identified with the Indian movement.

1. Right to ancestral lands including complete control of land and subsoil, the defense of land and recuperation of land lost.
2. Recognition of the ethnic and cultural identity of indigenous people- all indigenous peoples and organizations reaffirm the right to be distinct in culture, language and institutions, and to increase the value of their own technological, social and ideological practices.
3. Equal political rights in relation to the state.
4. The end of reppression and violence, particularly that against the leaders, activists and followers of indigenous political organizations.
5. The end of family planning programmes which have brought widespread sterilization of indigenous women and men.
6. The rejection of tourism and folklore, meaning the end of commercialization of Indian music, dance and other art forms as well as other forms of cultural appropriation. Instead, respect for true indigenous cultural expressions. [1]

[edit] Related

• Indigenist People
• American Indian Movement
• Ward Churchill
• Zapatistas

[edit] Sources

• 1 Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz, Indians of the Americas, p.85.

This term is part of the Infoshop Glossary