Coloniality And Indigenous Territorial Rights In The Peruvian Amazon PDF Download

The Bagua Massacre of 2009 occurred in light of overtly oppressive national discourse as well as the detrimental economic policies present in Alan García's la ley de la selva, which focused on the exploitation of the Peruvian Amazon. These apparatuses of oppression were born largely out of the increase in prevalence of neoliberal economic policies and understandings of natural resources as commodities. This study delves into the shifts in dominant discourses both internationally and domestically in Peru in order to better understand how indigenous resistance can challenge these perceptions of economic prosperity. This resistance allowed the Amazonian people in Peru to take control of their identity and the perceptions of their reality. Through the increase of visibility and access to communication, the inferior pro-indigenous discourse now has a home within the national Peruvian discourse. Although this response has not resulted in all pro-indigenous legislation and the fight to protect the Amazon continues, this study demonstrates why this mobilization and organization of indigenous peoples in Peru should be considered a success. The issue of indigenous land rights is a question filled with contention from nearly every angle. It raises questions of both international and domestic responsibility, anthropological definitions of identity, and the role of outside organizations in the promotion of these ideals. It confronts normalized perceptions of land as a commodity and source of capital while tying the environmental agenda with protection of human rights to the preservation and protection of indigenous land. Most importantly, it challenges the path of development that has become accepted as the correct way to go about economic growth. As we continue to grow as an international community, the lessons learned from movements that go against the accepted structure are significant and should be considered.