Making Ecuadorian histories : four centuries of defining power / O. Hugo Benavides.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Benavides, O. Hugo (Oswald Hugo), 1968-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Indians of South America--Ecuador--Antiquities.

Indians of South America.

Historiography.

Political anthropology.

Archaeology.

History.

Ecuador.

Antiquities.

Indians of South America--Ecuador--Historiography.

Archaeology--Ecuador--History.

National characteristics, Ecuadorian.

Political anthropology--Ecuador.

Ecuador--Historiography.

Ecuador--Antiquities.

Ecuador--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 231 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2004.

Summary:

In Ecuador, as in all countries, archaeology and history play fundamental roles in defining national identity. Connecting with the prehistoric and historic pasts gives the modern state legitimacy and power. But the state is not the only actor that lays claim to the country's archaeological patrimony, nor is its official history the only version of the story. Indigenous peoples are increasingly drawing on the past to claim their rights and standing in the modern Ecuadorian state, while the press tries to present a "neutral" version of history that will satisfy its various publics. This pathfinding book investigates how archaeological knowledge is used for both maintaining and contesting nation-building and state-hegemony in Ecuador. Specifically, Hugo Benavides analyzes how the pre-Hispanic site of Cochasqui has become a source of competing narratives of Native American, Spanish, and Ecuadorian occupations, which serve the differing needs of the nation-state and different national populations at large. He also analyzes the Indian movement itself and the recent controversy over the final resting place for the traditional monolith of San Biritute. Offering a more nuanced view of the production of history than previous studies, Benavides demonstrates how both official and resistance narratives are constantly reproduced and embodied within the nation-state's dominant discourses.

Contents:

1 Ecuador's Political Hegemony: National and Racial Histories 29

2 The Ecuadorianization of an Archaeological Site: National Identity at Cochasqui 60

3 National Mechanisms of Appropriation: History, Territory, Gender, and Race at Cochasqui 81

4 Between Foucault and a Naked Man: Racing Class, Sex, and Gender to the Nation's Past 106

5 Alternative Histories: The Indian Movement's Encounter with Hegemony 137

6 The Print Media's Contribution to National History: Who Owns the Past? 161

7 Conclusion: Power, Hegemony, and National Identity 179.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-226) and index.

ISBN:

0292702299

OCLC:

52729134

Online:

Publisher description