Interest on indigenous material culture goes back to early times. The interest of travelers, explorers and researchers has affected the forms and meanings of material production, and through out time, different historical and political processes have led to identity reconstitutions. Nowadays, it is possible to observe a revitalization and revalorization, not only of the objects, but as well of the techniques and materials of an indigenous ‘knowledge’, which includes technical, symbolic, social, economic and/or religious aspects, among others.

Panel: Presences and transformations of material indigenous cultural heritage

Conference The Americas 2019 : Future today / yesterday / tomorrow, Visions of Future(s) in the Americas

June 12th - 14th 2019, University of Bonn

Argument

Since the times of European colonization, indigenous groups in America have been part of a merchandising wave (commodities) and subject to various discourses around their objects. The interest of travelers, explorers and researchers has affected the forms and meanings of material production, and through out time, different historical and political processes have led to identity reconstitutions.

Nowadays, it is possible to observe a revitalization and revalorization, not only of the objects, but as well of the techniques and materials of an indigenous ‘knowledge’, which includes technical, symbolic, social, economic and/or religious aspects, among others. Despite this knowledge is often characterized as ‘ancestral’ or ‘millenary’, the stated processes have stimulated the creation of new contents and symbology of the material production. We are facing both the construction of a transferred image to the new generations and a present reality that is projected towards the future.

What are the mechanisms of these heritage making? What are the effects of those mechanisms over the identity statement and reconstruction? Which value is assigned to material production in this context? We invite papers that deal and exemplify critically these questions.

Convenors

• Dagmar Schweitzer de Palacios (Philipps Universität Marburg);
• Ingrid Arriaga (EHESS-Paris);
• Lena Muders (Philipps Universität Marburg)

Submission guidelines

Proposals accepted in English and Spanish. Please send by email to the three convenors. Include abstract (max. 100 words), short profile, name of candidate, institution, and contact references. 

Deadline: 15.01.2019, midnight.

Conference info: https://www.americas2019.uni-bonn.de/home

Contact

• Dagmar Schweitzer de Palacios - Philipps Universität Marburg: schweitd@staff.uni-marburg.de
• Ingrid Arriaga - EHESS-Paris: ingrid.arriaga@ehess.fr
• Lena Muders - Philipps Universität Marburg: Muders@Students.uni-marburg.de