Thirteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

How are some ramifications of globalization aiding decolonizing efforts and agendas pushed forward by communities of indigenous descent in the Americas? How is ritual performance dance a vehicle for this? These are the two overarching questions explored in this paper. By looking at two contemporary examples of dancing communities, one geographically located in New Mexico, USA, and the other in the Southern Peruvian Andes as well as the capital city of Lima, I explore how ritual dances are a medium for the regeneration of ontological world-views and relationships, and how the efforts to preserve them are strategies for decolonial resistance. This paper highlights both, the agency of these communities over the dynamic continuity of their identity, knowledge systems and spirituality, as well as the historical context in the midst of which they are re-defining themselves. I start by providing an overview of how communities of indigenous descent in the Americas have negotiated their identity in relation to processes such as colonization, the consolidation of capitalism manifested in urban growth and migration, to then move forward to analyze the way they are interacting with the challenges and opportunities posed by the globalization of media and technology, human mobility, markets, and discourses around culture and heritage. Specifically, I critically analyze how the commodification of ritual expressions and the acquisition of institutional recognition as Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity are contemporary strategies for decolonial resistance as they provide the necessary symbolic and material resources to advocate for their agendas.