The Indigenous Question
- The Debate over the special political and social economic rights that should be granted to
indigenous people as citizens of democratic nation state.
Explanations for the riots of indigenous movements:
- International human rights norm laws, organizations e.g. ILO convention 169 on indigenous
- UN declaration on indigenous rights
- A decline in class identities
- Democratization: give them political opportunity to mobilize
- Social capital: preexisting networks
Electoral option:
1) Rejection of electoral politics: e.g. Mexico, Guatamala
2) Join existing parties (Argentina and Brazil)
3) Form own party (Bolivia, Ecuador)
Autonomy in participation:
- The combination of protest and electoral politics as a means of advancing a groups agenda
Ecuador (MUPP-NP party):
- Example of autonomy in participation
- Platform has been resistance of neoliebralism
- Anti-corruption
- Creation of a plurinational state
Bolivia’s movement towards socialism (MAS):
- Formed in 1999
- Platform:
- End of forced coca eradication
- Nationalization of key industries
- Land reform
- Plurinational state of Bolivia
Advantages of electoral participation for indigenous movements:
- Lends legitimacy/ credibility
- Policy gains/ improvements
- Tool for building alliances with non-indigenous sympathizes
- Serve as a powerful antidote to racist images of indigenous people
- Might encourage political stability