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| author | Marley Annika Crank |
| title | Dominance, Language and Land in the Peruvian Amazon: a critical study of the discourse surrounding indigenous land rights in Peru |
| abstract | 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. |
| school | The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University |
| degree | B.A. (2017) |
| advisor | Phil Mundo |
| committee | Carlos Yordan
Marc Boglioli |
| full text | MACrank.pdf |
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