Dissertation Chapter Tempate
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Inventing Indigeneity: A Cultural History of 1930s Guatemala Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Munro, Lisa L. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 04/10/2021 12:19:05 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/347326 INVENTING INDIGENEITY: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF 1930s GUATEMALA by Lisa L. Munro ©Lisa L. Munro A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2014 UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Lisa L. Munro, titled “Inventing Indigeneity: A Cultural History of 1930s Guatemala” and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Kevin Gosner Date Martha Few Date Nancy J. Parezo Date John T. Way Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Kevin Gosner, Dissertation Director STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Lisa L. Munro ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not have been possible without the help of many people. First and foremost, I'm indebted to my adviser, Kevin Gosner, for his help, insights, and interest in my work. His ideas helped me think through many things, but particularly the history of Mesoamerican archaeology. I would like to thank also the rest of my committee: Martha Few, Nancy J. Parezo, and John T. Way. Together, they helped to shape my own thinking on many of the topics I explore here and guided this project towards its completion with constructive criticism and sage advice. I also appreciate the efforts of Gina M. Wasson, the secretary of the history department, for all of her efforts to ensure that all forms were filed and the correct boxes ticked. Special thanks to the staff of the Archivo General de Centro América, particularly Anna Carla Ericastilla, for their willingness to help me find what I was looking for even before I knew I was looking for it. Thelma Porres, Director of the Archivo Histórico at the Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamérica, was also always ready to help me find documents at a moment's notice. Additional thanks to J.T. Way for bringing me on board at CIRMA as a staff member for a time. It was quite the adventure--I learned so much! I'm also indebted to Grete Pasch for sharing with me the photographic collection of Arturo Valdés Oliva. She graciously allowed me to include here a wonderful photo of General Jorge Ubico, captured in a rare smiling moment. I'm greatly appreciative of the efforts of my friend and colleague Kathryn Gallien, who seems to never tire of proofreading my chapters and offering excellent suggestions for revision. This work would be much less without her friendship and input. Many thanks also to friend and colleague Joshua Salyers, who painstakingly scanned Ruth Reeves's personal papers for me at the Archive of American Art when I was unable to go myself. I owe him a big favor. More general thanks to all of my graduate school colleagues for their friendship and humor. On a personal note, great thanks are owed to my family for their love and support during the time I worked on this project. I'm grateful for the support and care of the many people I'm blessed to count as friends, but particularly Vi Farmer García. Finally, I would like especially to thank my colleague, friend, and partner Dr. Juan Emilio Carrillo González and his family. Mil gracias por todo. TABLE OF CONTENTS ILLUSTRATION INDEX................................................................................................8 DISSERTATION ABSTRACT........................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION: RE-IMAGINING THE MAYA IN TRANSNATIONAL CONTEXTS....................................................................................................................10 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES..................................19 HISTORICAL CONTEXTS AND CONCEPTIONS OF RACE........................................................28 RACE, GENDER AND CULTURE IN TWENTIETH CENTURY GUATEMALA.........................31 CHAPTER ONE: THE MEANING OF ARCHAEOLOGY: OLD QUESTIONS, NEW ANSWERS............................................................................................................50 COLONIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTECEDENTS......................................................................52 EARLY NATIONAL APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING NATIVE PEOPLES......................60 TWENTIETH CENTURY ADVANCES IN MAYA ARCHAEOLOGY............................................70 GENDER AND ARCHAEOLOGY....................................................................................................90 CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................................96 CHAPTER TWO: COME SEE GUATEMALA AT MACY'S! RUTH REEVES AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF POPULAR ETHNOGRAPHIC MEMORY...103 RUTH REEVES'S COLLECTING EXPEDITION TO GUATEMALA..........................................105 COLLECTING TRADITIONS.........................................................................................................114 MODERNISM, SOCIAL REALISM, MURALISM, AND BACK TO THE PRIMITIVE.............120 ON IMPERIALIST NOSTALGIA, PUBLIC MEMORY, AND THE USES OF HISTORICAL NARRATIVE....................................................................................................................................126 INDIANS IN DEPARTMENT STORES..........................................................................................137 THE ROCKEFELLER CENTER SHOW.........................................................................................145 THE MAYA ON DISPLAY AT MACY'S.........................................................................................149 CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................................................155 CHAPTER THREE: AUTHENTICATING ETHNOGRAPHIC FICTIONS: FILMING THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN IN GUATEMALA.............160 ETHNOGRAPHIC EXPEDITIONS AS EXPRESSIONS OF EMPIRE AND ENTERTAINMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................162 PERFORMANCES OF CIVILIZATION AND SAVAGERY IN THE JUNGLE.............................180 CULTURAL NATIONALISM AND ANTI-IMPERIAL RESISTANCE.........................................198 CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................................................211 CHAPTER FOUR: THE SOUND OF THE MAYA: MUSICAL PERFORMANCES OF INDIGENOUS CULTURE AT THE GREATER TEXAS AND PAN- AMERICAN EXPOSITION OF 1937........................................................................216 CREATING PAN-AMERICAN UNITY THROUGH VISUAL DISPLAY.....................................218 THE GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY, TOURISM, AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY.....................230 THE PERFORMANCE OF RACE, GENDER AND (INVENTED) MAYAN CULTURE.............240 CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................................................258 CONCLUSIONS: 2012 AND BEYOND.....................................................................263 DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH....................................................................................269 AFTERMATH...................................................................................................................................271 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................274 ARCHIVAL SOURCES....................................................................................................................274 PUBLISHED PRIMARY SOURCES...............................................................................................277 SECONDARY SOURCES................................................................................................................286 ILLUSTRATION INDEX Illustration 1: Undated photo of Jorge Ubico, captured with a rare smile, ca. 1935.......................36 Illustration 2: Early excavations at Quiriguá, ca. 1910......................................................................75