Ethnic Reemergence in Uruguay: The Return of the Charrúa in the Light of Settler Colonialism Studies

Abstract

Verdesio discusses the shortcomings of a central category in the theoretical repertoire of the decolonial option: “coloniality of power.” By focusing on Uruguay as a case study, a country where the colonial legacies typical of settler colonialism are still alive, Verdesio shows the limited explanatory power of categories like coloniality of power, that were born out of the study of other forms of colonialism. The negative, sometimes passionate reactions the reemergence of the Charrúa Indians has elicited from a significant number of social actors (politicians, academics, and the general public) are discussed as a symptomatic phenomenon that may help one understand the deep roots and currency of present-day colonial legacies.