Native and National in Brazil: Indigeneity after Independence

by Tracy Devine Guzmán

Overview

How do the lives of indigenous peoples relate to the romanticized role of "Indians" in Brazilian history, politics, and cultural production? Native and National in Brazil charts this enigmatic relationship from the sixteenth century to the present, focusing on the consolidation of the dominant national imaginary in the postindependence period and highlighting Native peoples' ongoing work to decolonize it. Engaging issues ranging from sovereignty, citizenship, and national security to the revolutionary potential of art, sustainable development, and the gendering of ethnic differences, Tracy Devine Guzman argues that the tensions between popular renderings of "Indianness" and lived indigenous experience are critical to the unfolding of Brazilian nationalism, on the one hand, and the growth of the Brazilian indigenous movement, on the other.
Devine Guzman suggests that the "indigenous question" now posed by Brazilian indigenous peoples themselves--how to be Native and national at the same time--can help us to rethink national belonging in accordance with the protection of human rights, the promotion of social justice, and the consolidation of democratic governance for indigenous and nonindigenous citizens alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469602103
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	05/27/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Tracy Devine Guzman is associate professor of Latin American studies, Portuguese, and Spanish at the University of Miami.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Abbreviations xix

Introduction Indians without Indigeneity 1

The Colonialist Renderings of the Present

1 From Acculturation to Interculturality 31

Paradigms for Including through Exclusion

2 On Cannibals and Christians 63

The Violent Displacements of Nation Building

3 Anti-Imperialist Imperialism and Other

Constructions of Modernity 105

4 Unraveling Indianist Hegemony and the Myth of the Brazilian Race 131

5 A Native Critique of Sovereignty 159

The Brazilian Indigenous Movement in the New Millennium

Epilogue Postindigenism 195

Appendix Final Document of the Conference of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Brazil 207

Notes 211

Bibliography 263

Index 301

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Captures the complex and contradictory history of representations of indigenous peoples in Brazil and offers a sensitive and theoretically sophisticated treatment of the relationship between indigeneity and the Brazilian state—between national belonging and the lived experience of difference. A welcome addition to the growing literature on indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere.—Jan Hoffman French, University of Richmond



Through a stunning analysis of government documents, literary and artistic representations, media images, and indigenous-authored texts and websites, Tracy Devine Guzman explores the deep chasm that has cleaved representations of Brazil's indigenous peoples from their lived experiences. Elegantly written and theoretically sophisticated, Native and National in Brazil highlights how colonialist patterns of violence, acculturation, and exclusion have been historically reproduced in Brazil, as well as challenged by indigenous leaders and intellectuals. Devine Guzman's scholarship exemplifies the multidisciplinary potential of cultural studies at its finest.—Seth Garfield, author of Indigenous Struggle at the Heart of Brazil: State Policy, Frontier Expansion, and the Xavante Indians, 1937-1988



With this brilliant study of the complex negotiation between a renewed sense of indigeneity and a more flexible and inclusive Brazilian national identity, beyond the traditional 'fable of the three races,' Tracy Devine Guzman establishes herself as one of the most original interpreters of Brazil in U.S. academic circles.—Luiz F. Valente, Brown University



Lucid, intelligent, and thoroughly researched, this book tracks 150 years of public policy and official imaginings around indigenous peoples in Brazil and the continuing contestatory work of indigenous leaders and thinkers. Native and National in Brazil offers students of global indigeneity indispensable access to the Brazilian scenario, whose unfolding will shape the future of indigenous peoples worldwide.—Mary Louise Pratt, New York University

Editorial Reviews

"With this brilliant study of the complex negotiation between a renewed sense of indigeneity and a more flexible and inclusive Brazilian national identity, beyond the traditional 'fable of the three races,' Tracy Devine Guzmán establishes herself as one of the most original interpreters of Brazil in U.S. academic circles."—Luiz F. Valente, Brown University

"Captures the complex and contradictory history of representations of indigenous peoples in Brazil and offers a sensitive and theoretically sophisticated treatment of the relationship between indigeneity and the Brazilian state—between national belonging and the lived experience of difference. A welcome addition to the growing literature on indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere."—Jan Hoffman French, University of Richmond

"Lucid, intelligent, and thoroughly researched, this book tracks 150 years of public policy and official imaginings around indigenous peoples in Brazil and the continuing contestatory work of indigenous leaders and thinkers. Native and National in Brazil offers students of global indigeneity indispensable access to the Brazilian scenario, whose unfolding will shape the future of indigenous peoples worldwide."—Mary Louise Pratt, New York University

"Through a stunning analysis of government documents, literary and artistic representations, media images, and indigenous-authored texts and websites, Tracy Devine Guzmán explores the deep chasm that has cleaved representations of Brazil's indigenous peoples from their lived experiences. Elegantly written and theoretically sophisticated, Native and National in Brazil highlights how colonialist patterns of violence, acculturation, and exclusion have been historically reproduced in Brazil, as well as challenged by indigenous leaders and intellectuals. Devine Guzmán's scholarship exemplifies the multidisciplinary potential of cultural studies at its finest."—Seth Garfield, author of Indigenous Struggle at the Heart of Brazil: State Policy, Frontier Expansion, and the Xavante Indians, 1937-1988

This well-written, sophisticated study provides indispensable insights into the uses and constructions of indigenous identities. Highly recommended. Graduate students/faculty.—Choice



In this engaging interdisciplinary book, Tracy Devine Guzman examines how mainstream Brazilian society has represented 'Indians' from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, and how indigenous peoples have sought to decolonize those representations and define their own identity.—American Historical Review



A welcome addition to the growing literature on indigenism in Brazil and the Americas.—Hispanic American Historical Review



A refreshing sense of self-awareness….Engaging and reflective.—Native American and Indigenous Studies



A masterful balance between representation and reality of the represented, Natives and National helps students at all levels plumb the depths of the 'indigenous question.' . . . Should be included on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the indigenous studies or in Brazilian history or literature.—H-Net Reviews

From the Publisher