New Indigenous Citizenship in Bolivia: Challenging the Liberal Model of the State and its Subjects

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, indigenous identities seemed atavistic and doomed. By its close, indigenous politics were proving to be much more dynamic and successful than other progressive political movements. This article explores the ways in which indigenous groups are engaging in novel ways with the nation-state. What is at play here is a series of articulations of the ways in which the state relates to citizens and vice versa in Bolivia where the iconic citizen has changed from being a mestizo to an indigenous person. Not all communities and not all individuals are equally well placed to take advantage of new political spaces and opportunities. This article examines the case of Khonkho in highland Bolivia and considers its response to the opportunities opened up by a new indigenous political landscape and, in particular, the role of new rituals in articulating a new relationship with the state. The relationship between cultural expression and political rights are explored, arguing that the former are much more linked to the latter than might first appear.