Diverse Articulations of Urban Indigeneity among Lowland Indigenous Groups in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Abstract

This article contrasts politico-legal understandings of indigeneity to the lived experiences of urban residents in Santa Cruz (Bolivia) who belong to distinct lowland indigenous groups and whose specific demands are often not addressed by government authorities. It also critically examines power relations and patterns of exclusion within urban indigenous communities. The findings offer insights on the multiple, and at times conflicting, experiences of distinct urban indigenous residents. They also highlight the need to consider alternative indigenous struggles which confront unjust government practices that reproduce social exclusion and coloniality, but also problematise patriarchal relations and gerontocracy among urban indigenous groups.