ABSTRACT
The last decades of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of indigenous movements in several regions of the Andean countries. In the analysis of such mobilization, the quest for autonomy and the strategic dimension of identity are prominent. Scholars claim that indigenous peoples have mobilized to counteract neoliberal policies that affect their autonomy, and that they have strategically shaped their identity in struggles for land, natural resources, and/or NGO development projects. However, broad cause-and-effect links between neoliberalism and indigenous movements downplay historical specificity and bring forth more questions than answers. In addition, while recognizing the relational nature of social categories, most research lines do not explain the ways in which indigeneity is constructed as a social reality. In this chapter, I study the implications of acquiring ethnic conscience and mobilizing politically as indigenous peoples in the Andes—focusing mostly on Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Analyzing the different impact of indigenous mobilization across the region, I ask if indigenous movements, reconstituting social categories, have given a future to indigeneity.
