Author Description

Achieving political recognition from their native countries continues to be one of the most contentious struggles for indigenous peoples. In this book, scholars from a variety of disciplines assess how indigenous groups are inventing and challenging new modes of identity, whether legal, cultural, artistic, or economic. Through the examples of cultural development in the United States, Australia, Guatemala, and other countries, the authors discuss the role of opposing ideals--such as national unity and ethnic diversity, assimilation and self-determination--in forming indigenous identities. This authoritative volume will change the way scholars consider the position of indigenous peoples around the globe.