The Politics of Indigeneity : Dialogues and Reflections on Indigenous Activism

Provocative and original, The Politics of Indigeneity explores the concept of indigeneity across the world - from the Americas to New Zealand, Africa to Asia - and the ways in which it intersects with local, national and international social and political realities. Taking on the role of critical interlocutors, the authors engage in extended dialogue with indigenous spokespersons and activists, as well as between each other. In doing so, they explore the possibilities of a 'second-wave indigeneity' - one that is alert to the challenges posed to indigenous aspirations by the neo-liberal agenda of nation-states and their concerns with sovereignty. Timely and topical in its focus on global indigenous politics, and featuring a variety of first-hand indigenous voices - including those of indigenous activists, scholars, leaders and interviewees - this is a vital contribution to an often contentious topic. About the editors Contents Figures and table Figures 1.1 Ayoreo territory 1.2 Aquino Aquiraoi Picanerai 1.3 Mateo Sobode Chiquenoi II 3.1 Batwa ancestral territories 4.1 New Nubia 4.2 Old Nubia 5.1 Thailand 6.1 The Nicobar Islands 6.2 Chupon and Simron Singh 7.1 The Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal Table 4.1 Political timeline for Nubia Abbreviations Additional materials Introduction Invocation: What the spirit said to Ibegua Chiqueñoro Credits Part One Settler: South America and New Zealand 1 | Being indigenous: the concept of indigeneity, a conversation with two Ayoreo leaders Introduction Figure 1.1 Ayoreo territory Methodology The interview Figure 1.2 Aquino Aquiraoi Picanerai Figure 1.3 Mateo Sobode Chiquenoi II Conclusions Comment Simron Jit Singh Reply Acknowledgments 2 | Beyond indigenous civilities: indigenous matters 1 INDIGENOUS STRUGGLES 2 INDIGENOUS CIVILITIES A response from the wilderness The backstory: Gareth’s challenge Reclamation of the discursive terrain: shifting across two different plains of interaction The reclamation of language and the imaginative space – claiming a right to the future 3 VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE Moana Jackson’s response Helen Te Hira’s response Helen Potter’s response Kane Te Manakura’s response Ian Takarangi’s response Comment Avril Bell Reply: Teanau Tuiono Reply: Avril Bell Conclusion Glossary Acknowledgements Part Two Post-colonial: Africa and Asia 3 | Mapping everyday practices as rights of resistance: indigenous peoples in Central Africa Introduction Figure 3.1 Batwa ancestral territories 1 INDIGENEITY AS LIVED EXPERIENCE Interview 1 Interview 2 2 INDIGENEITY AS SUBVERSION The difficulty in acceptance A legitimate alternative 3 INDIGENEITY AS ACCOMMODATION Conclusion Comment Benno Glauser Reply 4 | Displacement and indigenous rights: the Nubian case Introduction 1 DIALOGUES Interview 1: Suad Ibrahim Ahmed, 11 April 2008, Khartoum Interview 2: Dr Ahmed Sokarno, lecturer in linguistics at South Valley University, Aswan, 1 April, Aswan Figure 4.1 New Nubia Figure 4.2 Old Nubia 2 INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND IDENTITY POLITICS Division, relocation and gendered change Relationship with the state – the line you cannot cross Politicization of identity Visions for the future Comment Christopher Kidd Reply Table 4.1 Political timeline for Nubia Acknowledgements 5 | Being indigenous in northern Thailand Highlanders as indigenous peoples The challenges of being indigenous in northern Thailand Working to claim indigeneity DIALOGUE NGO/activist views Village views Figure 5.1 Thailand Analysis Comment Sita Venkateswar Reply Glossary Acknowledgements 6 | Chupon’s dilemma: a dialogue Prologue Figure 6.1 The Nicobar Islands Chupon’s dilemma Figure 6.2 Chupon and Simron Singh Epilogue Comment Benno Glauser Reply Acknowledgements Part Three International 7 | Indigeneity and international indigenous rights organizations and forums DIALOGUES Interview 1: Stephen Corry, Survival International, 4 December 2007 Interview 2: discussion between Sita Venkateswar and IWGIA members Lola García-Alix and Jens Dahl, Copenhagen, Denmark, 12 December 2007 Interview 3: discussion with Ida Nicolaison, Nordic Institute, Copenhagen, 13 December 2007 Commentary Teanau Tuiono Emma Hughes Reflections and analysis Figure 7.1 The Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal Conclusion Acknowledgements Conclusion. Naming and claiming second-wave indigeneity: a dialogue and reflections Naming and claiming: a dialogue on second-wave indigeneity Reflections on second-wave indigeneity Gathering the threads to weave a mutual future Notes Introduction Invocation 1 Being indigenous 2 Beyond indigenous civilities 4 Displacement and indigenous rights 5 Being indigenous in northern Thailand 6 Chupon’s dilemma 7 Indigeneity and international indigenous rights organizations Conclusion Bibliography About the contributors Index About Zed Books "Provocative and original, The Politics of Indigeneity explores the concept of indigeneity across the world and the ways in which it intersects with local, national and international social and political realities. The authors act as critical interlocutors with indigenous spokespersons, scholars and activists, as well as with each other, to discuss the possibilities of a 'second-wave indigeneity', one that is alert to the challenges posed by the neoliberal agenda of nation-states. Featuring a variety of indigenous voices, The Politics of Indigeneity is a vital and timely contribution to an often contentious topic."--Page 4 of cover The Politics of Indigeneity explores the concept of indigeneity across the world and the ways in which it intersects with local, national and international social and political realities. The authors discuss with indigenous spokespersons, scholars and activists the possibilities of a 'second-wave indigeneity', one that is alert to the challenges posed by the neoliberal agenda of nation-states. The Politics of Indigeneity is a vital and timely contribution to an often contentious topic.