From: Carrol Cox <cbcox-AT-rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu>
Subject: Re: M-I: Indigenismo
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 11:18:15 -0600 (CST)


James Heartfield writes:
> [SNIP] Contemporary indigenism is largely a western and elite movement
> generated to undermine national self determination on the part of less
> powerful nations: hence . . . the Miskito Indians in Nicaragua etc - 
	all ways of attacking
> third world nationalism whilst pretending to stand up for the oppressed.

I don't have a settled position on "indigenism," but James is both correct
and quite wrong on the Miskito question in Nicaragua, a concrete
consideration of which requires abstracting from theoretical questions of
"indigenous-peoples-in-general" *and* from the admittedly
counter-revolutionary *use* made of the episode by enemies of Nicaragua.

A high offical of the Nicaraguans (attached to their diplomatic delegation
in Washington) spoke here in the mid-80s, and he was very clear on the
point that their initial response to the Miskitos had been a serious
*political* error. They were trying to correct that error at the time, but
it undoubtedly contributed substantively to the eventual defeat of the
revolution.

Carrol


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