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The Recursive Indian: The Significance of Complementary Ethnic Alterity in the Bolivian Tipnis March
Author(s) -
Bold Rosalyn
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
bulletin of latin american research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1470-9856
pISSN - 0261-3050
DOI - 10.1111/blar.13238
Subject(s) - indigenous , alterity , ethnic group , colonialism , politics , hegemony , autonomy , gender studies , government (linguistics) , sociology , political science , ethnology , anthropology , law , ecology , epistemology , philosophy , biology , linguistics
This article explores ethnic alterity in the Bolivian Tipnis crisis, showing how claiming indigenous, Indian and colonial identities was significant in shaping government strategy and responses among ‘citified Indians’ of La Paz and El Alto and highland indigenous social movements. While Kuper claims indigeneity can distract attention from ‘real local issues’, Andean ethnicity is relational, roles assigned and reassigned in a continually shifting political theatre, where the ‘rebel Indian’ recurs historically, challenging colonial hegemony and reorienting the discussion towards issues of territorial autonomy.