Peoples of the Earth

Ethnonationalism, Democracy, and the Indigenous Challenge in 'Latin' America

By (author) Martin Edwin Andersen author of Peoples of the Earth: Ethnonationalism, Democracy, and the Indige Contributions by Robert A. Pastor professor and director of the Center for North American Studies, American U

Publication date:

15 February 2010

Length of book:

300 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

Dimensions:

239x163mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780739143919

Peoples of the Earth employs a comparative history of ethno-nationalism to examine Indian activism and its challenges to the political, social and economic status quo in the countries of Central and South America. It explores the intersect between problems of democratic empowerment and security-including the appearance of radical Islam among Indians in two important countries-arising from the re-emergence of dormant forms of ethnic militancy and unprecedented internal challenges to nation-states. The institutions and practices of Indian self-government in the United States and Canada are examined as a means of comparison with contemporary phenomena in Central and South America, suggesting frameworks for the successful democratic incorporation of the region's most disenfranchised peoples. European models emerging from 'intermestic' dilemmas are considered, as are those involving the Inuit people (or Eskimos) in the Canadian far north, as policymakers there 'think outside the box' in ways that include more robust roles for both sub-national and international bodies. Finally, the work challenges policymakers to broaden the debate about how to approach the issues of political and economic empowerment and regional security concerning Native peoples, to include consideration of new ways of protecting both land rights and the environment, thus avoiding a zero-sum solution between the region's 40 million Indians and the rest of its peoples. Peoples of the Earth has the potential to become a pioneer study addressing ethnic activism, characterized by multiple, small groups pressing for state recognition and democratic participation, while also promoting a defence of the environment and natural resources. Part of its attractiveness is the likelihood that the work will lead to further investigations and will become an authoritative point of departure for the fertile area of ethnonationalism studies in Latin America. Each country chapter provides a succinct but substantial presentation of the basic issues and challenges facing the Native peoples of the country. Overall, the book has an excellent mix of historical and contemporary analysis.

Chapter 1 Foreword: The Last Frontier of De-Colonization in the Americas: Indigenous Peoples
Chapter 2 1. Introduction
Chapter 3 2. The "Miner's Canary" of Democracy
Chapter 4 3. Elite Neglect and "Rediscovery"
Chapter 5 4. Is Democracy a Zero-Sum Game?
Chapter 6 5. Imagined Communities: Marxism and the Indian Nation-State
Chapter 7 6. Indian Lands, "Ungoverned Spaces," and Failing States
Chapter 8 7. Bolivia
Chapter 9 8. Peru
Chapter 10 9. Ecuador
Chapter 11 10. Guatemala
Chapter 12 11. Chile
Chapter 13 12. Colombia
Chapter 14 13. Toward a New American Identity
Chapter 15 14. Conclusions
Chapter 16 15. Appendices: State Department Annual Human Rights Country Reports

Peoples of the Earth is about the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere—what is left of them. Focusing on the rise of Native nationalism in the Americas, the book is provocative from historical and ideological perspectives. The rise of the struggle for autonomy is based on globalization and the encroachment of outside forces on indigenous lands. Aside from political autonomy, the cry is for preservation of Indian cultures. The nature of the struggle depends on the nation-state that the particular indigenous nation finds itself within. Mexico leads in the number of Native people with 12 million natives, 14.3 percent of the population. (The CIA World Fact Book lists 30 percent of Mexicans as Amerindian). Only in Bolivia have Native Americans gained a semblance of power, with the rise of Evo Morales as president....Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries.