Rethinking Indigenismo on the American Continent
Issue Editors: Laura Giraudo & Stephen E. Lewis
During the middle decades of the twentieth century, indigenismo was a political, intellectual, and artistic movement that celebrated indigenous peoples in the Americas, on the one hand, but also sought to develop, educate, and otherwise “change” them, on the other. This was pursued most vigorously in Mexico as an explicit nation-building strategy. The effects of indigenismo were also felt in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in Latin America, especially Guatemala and Peru. During this time, the place of indigenous peoples in society and national imaginaries was reconsidered and debated, and several countries launched elaborate programs to “incorporate” their indigenous populations.
Roughly four decades ago, scholars dismissed the indigenista projects of the 1940s to 1960s as integrationist, paternalistic, and colonial projects of political manipulation that hardly merited further study. Not surprisingly, many of the seminal texts on indigenismo are not the work of independent researchers but of current and former indigenistas themselves, often with state support. The relatively paltry scholarly output on indigenismo is especially ironic given its development alongside the social sciences, especially anthropology.
Following the critiques of indigenismo in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the terms “indigenismo” and “indigenista” were charged with negative connotations. As state support for indigenista projects dried up throughout the hemisphere, indigenismo—a word that has generally referred to official Indian policy planned and executed by non-Indians—has been appropriated in some cases by the indigenous themselves. In more recent times, “indigenismo” has lost its negative connotation and acquired a positive one, but now the term has an entirely different meaning, referring to indigenous movements or to the politics of identity in the context of a “new Indian question.”
The main objective of this special issue of Latin American Perspectives is to explore new approaches and perspectives to the study of indigenismo in the Americas. We consider indigenismo as critical to twentieth century state- and nation-building processes, and we aim to remove the discussion of the indigenous question from the auto-referential context in which it developed and to challenge long-held assumptions about indigenismo and its role. This reconstruction, analysis, and reinterpretation of indigenismo should help us trace the roots of the present political and academic debate about “indigenismo” – a term used, confusingly, for related, but different, movements and processes – and place both in their proper historical context. This will also permit a better understanding of the relationship between the “indigenist” movements of the mid-twentieth century and the “indigenous” (or “Indianist”) movements of the last three decades.
We invite papers that reevaluate indigenismo during its apogee (1940s-60s) and trace the impact of historical indigenismo on more recent indigenous political movements. Papers should be based on archival research and primary sources to reconstruct and explain the histories and contexts of indigenismo. Submissions might address the Inter-American Indian Institute and its project of continental indigenismo, as well as national indigenista institutions and projects and their relationship with the continental project (Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala). Articles could also focus on some important indigenistas and their personal and professional networks, and could take a comparative look at specific indigenista projects. Submissions that have already been suggested discuss the following themes: the Inter-American Indian Institute and the creation of a new indigenista holiday; Mexico’s National Indigenist Institute and its pilot Coordinating Center in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas; the role of national and foreign anthropologists in discussions about Indian and nation in Guatemala; indigenismo and indigenista institutions in Peru; and historical memory and Indian Boarding Schools in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
Rounding out this special issue will be a commentary by a prominent contemporary indigenous scholar and two short essays on primary sources for the study of indigenismo. In order to more clearly address the relationship between mid-century indigenismo and more recent Indianist movements, the editors invite submission of papers that deal with the political and intellectual legacy of indigenismo, indigenous autonomy, and modern indigenous politics, ideology and policy. Commentary from past and present critics of indigenismo is also welcome.
Submitting Manuscripts
Manuscripts should be no longer than 25 pages (approximately 7,000-7,500 words) of double-spaced 12 point text with 1 inch margins, including notes and references, and paginated. Please follow the LAP style guide which is available at www.latinamericanperspectives.com under the “Submissions” tab. Please use the “About” tab for the LAP Mission Statement and details about the manuscript review process.
Manuscripts may be submitted in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. If submitting in Spanish or Portuguese, please indicate if you will have difficulty reading correspondence from the LAP office in English.
All manuscripts should be original work that has not been published in English and that is not being submitted to or considered for publication elsewhere in identical or similar form.
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Please feel free to contact the Issue Editor with questions pertaining to the issue but be sure that manuscripts are sent to the LAP office by e-mail to:
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In addition to electronic submission (e-mail, or CD-R or floppy disk if unable to send by e-mail) if possible submit two print copies including a cover sheet and basic biographical and contact information to:
Managing Editor, Latin American Perspectives¸ P.O. Box 5703, Riverside, California 92517-5703.
Editor contact information:
Tomás Crowder-Taraborrelli - tcrowdertaraborrelli@soka.edu
Antonio Traverso - a.traverso@curtin.edu.au