Zukunft gestalten: Herausforderungen an die indigenen Bewegungen in Lateinamerika

Abstract

Since the 1980ies, indigenous peoples in Latin America experience a process of profound changes which influence each aspect of their lives. The article analyzes the demands of indigenous organizations, important achievements, and challenges as well as conflicts which they are facing in the international and national political arena. The second part shows how the discourses and demands of the indigenous political organizations reflect changes within the indigenous population. This discussion focuses on two topics. First, the topic of multiple identities leads to the question, how the discourse of "indigenous people” and the demand of "indigenous territories” considers the different ways of living and economic strategies as well as the social and cultural heterogeneity. Second, discussing the topic of customary law from a perspective of Human Rights and especially Women’s Human Rights, the question addresses the issue, how the discourses of the political indigenous organizations and the practices of everyday life integrate the changes of perception of rights and values within the indigenous communities.