jsa

Special Issue

Vol. 30 No. 1 (2024): Forms of Autonomy. Assembly Practices and Collective Decisions on the Margin of the State

Assembling Differences: The Reshaping of Hostility in Indigenous Assemblies (Peruvian Amazon)

Submitted
April 24, 2023
Published
2024-11-17

Abstract

In the Peruvian Amazon’s lower Marañón basin, the prospect of an indigenous assembly appears unlikely: how can previously semi-nomadic groups, historically immersed in recurrent warfare, come together in a cohesive political entity? This transformation is undoubtedly a product of historical processes, greatly influenced by Western political structures and legal frameworks. However, does this shift erase the traditional conflicts among Amazonian groups? The criteria defining indigenous identity and collective action still bear traces of past hostilities, albeit reshaped by indigenous political dynamics. This article draws from the ethnography of a federation assembly to delve into the nuances between fragmentation and unity. Through the lens of assembly issues, it seeks to uncover both the ruptures and continuities defining contemporary indigenous communities.

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