DOCSLIB.ORG

My Cocaine Museum, by Michael Taussig (2004)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
My Cocaine Museum, by Michael Taussig (2004) "The past is never dead. It's not even past." William Faulkner NOT EVEN PAST Search the site ... My Cocaine Museum, by Like 10 Michael Taussig (2004) Tweet By Jimena Perry One of Colombia´s most important museums is the Gold Museum, located in Bogotá. It is part of the Bank of the Republic, a state-run central bank. The museum houses approximately 55,000 gold pieces, most of them belonging to Pre-Columbian cultures, and aims to preserve the country´s heritage. Perhaps the most intriguing object on display is the world famous Poporo Quimbaya, a device used by indigenous cultures to store the lime they mixed with coca leaves for chewing. This was the rst object acquired by the museum’s directors and has been on display for more than 60 years. Quimbaya gold poporo and pestle, at the Gold Museum, Bogotá. Via Wikipedia. In 2003, anthropologist Michael Taussig, known for his unconventional ethnographic writing, published My Cocaine Musuem, a controversial analysis of the Gold Museum. The book was based on his conversations with the director and museum staff as well as analysis of the collection and its presentation. Taussig´s book uses the Gold Museum as a case study to reect on what museums should do and raised signicant criticisms regarding the practices he saw at the Gold Musuem. While the book upset the museum’s team, it is now considered an important reection on how museums work. One of Taussig’s major criticisms was the key omissions he noticed in the story told by the Gold Museum. Taussig drew on his own research into the black communities located in Timibiquí in the country’s southwest. These communities were formed by black former slaves who settled in Timbiquí and began extracting gold from mines and panning it from rivers there. Despite the strong connection these communities had to gold, the museum made no mention of them. Taussig also criticised the museum for focusing too heavily on objects without providing the rich texture that brings Privacy - Terms understanding to different cultures. For example he highlights the relationship that some indigenous peoples have with objects such as poporos (not all of them are made of gold) and the lime they carry in them. He argues that these objects are revealing of a different life and culture that needs to be contextualized in order to be understood and respected. If, for example, there is a display of the object itself, without some kind of history behind it, the cultural meanings of the pieces might disappear entirely. Along these lines, continues Taussig, museums have become boring places that xate on objects, they are “dead and even hostile places for bored bourgeoisie.” For instance, since poporos store lime for chewing with coca leaves, they have a green layer of dry spit in their upper part. Why wouldn’t a museum exhibit these poporos? Why is only an asceptic, clean, gold poporo appropriate to represent the cultural practice of coca chewing and why are the black people who extract gold totally absent from museums? This old Muisca tradition became the origin of the El Dorado legend. This Balsa Muisca (Muisca raft) gure is on display in the Gold Museum, Bogotá, Colombia. Via Wikipedia. In order to bridge these gaps, Taussig imagines a cocaine museum, not to exalt coke as a national Colombian identity marker, but as the object at the center of an issue that can be traced historically and that cannot be comprehended if it is only seen as an object. Taussig emphasizes the relationship among gold, coke, and cocaine. Along these lines, the author envisages a museum that does not separate nature from culture, where objects are not decontextualized and where the pieces tell stories that appeal to the people who use, elaborate, and see them. The scholar´s idea is that his cocaine museum portrays a story of things told by objects. For the anthropologist, My Cocaine Museum is a place where history and ethnography converge, contextualizing gold and its relationship with coke. It is even possible to say that he makes the following equation: gold is to slaves as coca to Indians and cocaine to the present. Not all Taussig’s arguments are persuasive. Why should a historical museum, such as the Gold Museum, which aims to focus on the past, have the duty to also display the present? Should all msueums do the same thing? What are their purposes? How are they useful to society? Taussig´s book raises these question and will make readers think more closely about the nature, function, and role of museums. My Cocaine Museum, by Michael Taussig (The University of Chicago Press, 2004) You may also like: Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra reviews Netix’s Narcos Jimena Perry discusses two museums that represent the Colombian violence since the 1960s: the Hall of Never Again, a community-led memory museum in Colombia, and The Center for Memory, Peace, and Reconciliation, Bogotá, Colombia Posted December 14, 2015 More 1900s, Art/Architecture, Books, Latin America and the Caribbean, Race/Ethnicity THE PUBLIC HISTORIAN Making History: Houston’s “Spirit of the Confederacy” May 06, 2020 More from The Public Historian BOOKS America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States by Erika Lee (2019) April 20, 2020 More Books DIGITAL HISTORY Ticha: Digital Archive Review May 27, 2020 More from Digital History FILMS & MEDIA Jojo Rabbit (Dir: Taika Waititi, 2019) June 08, 2020 More from Films & Media TEXAS Spanish Flu in the Texas Oil Fields May 26, 2020 More from Texas 19th century 20th Century African American History american history Asia Asia & Middle East book review Brazil British Empire China Civil War Cold War Colonialism communism cultural history digital history Early Modern Europe Europe lm gender history History of Science immigration India Islam Latin America Latin American History Mexico Not Even Past Public History race religion Russia slavery Texas Texas History Texas History Day Transnational Twentieth Century History United States US History USSR Womens History world history World War II NOT EVEN PAST is produced by The Department of History THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN We are supported by the College of Liberal Arts And our READERS DONATE CONTACT All content © 2010-present NOT EVEN PAST and the authors, unless otherwise noted Sign up to receive bi-weekly email updates Your email address SUBSCRIBE BOOKS FILMS & MEDIA THE PUBLIC BLOG TEXAS HISTORIAN.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Legend of Bogota S N O M M O C
    The Legend of Bogota s n o m m o C a i d e m i k i W a i v ) k r o w n w O ( ) z i t r O n á r u D o t r e b o R o i r a M ( o d r o i r a M y B A golden Muisca raft The Muisca people of Colombia had an unusual line of succession for its zipas, or rulers. The zipa’s oldest sister’s oldest son always became the next zipa. Tisquesusa became zipa of the southern Muisca Confederation in 1514 after his uncle died. The Muisca Confederation was one nation of people that was ruled by different people in the north and south. Tisquesusa was as ready as he’d ever be. His family had just come out of mourning for his uncle. They had mummified him and buried him only a few short days before. Beside him in his royal tomb, they placed pottery, food, golden ornaments, and other necessities for the afterlife. Tisquesusa had spent the last days fasting and felt weak but purified. The ceremony was about to start. Tisquesusa solemnly boarded the raft with his attendants and the village holy men by the shores of Lake Guatavita. 1 © 2018 Reading Is Fundamental • Content created by Simone Ribke The Legend of Bogota When the water was about chest-deep, Tisquesusa dropped his ceremonial robe. He let the priests cover his body in a sticky sap. Then they covered him from head to toe in gold dust until he shone and sparkled like the Sun god himself.
    [Show full text]
  • Dogma Y Misticismo En El Parque Arqueológico Las Piedras Del Tunjo En Facatativá, Colombia Hallazgos, Vol
    Hallazgos ISSN: 1794-3841 [email protected] Universidad Santo Tomás Colombia Gómez-Montañez, Pablo Felipe Memoria, patrimonio arqueológico y utopías interculturales: dogma y misticismo en el parque arqueológico Las Piedras del Tunjo en Facatativá, Colombia Hallazgos, vol. 10, núm. 19, enero-junio, 2013, pp. 79-99 Universidad Santo Tomás Bogotá, Colombia Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=413835217006 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto Memoria, patrimonio arqueológico y utopías interculturales: dogma y misticismo en el parque arqueológico Las Piedras del Tunjo en Facatativá, Colombia* Pablo Felipe Gómez-Montañez** Resumen Recibido: 24 de febrero de 2012 Evaluado: 26 de marzo de 2012 El siguiente artículo es el resultado de un trabajo etnográfico Aceptado: 20 de abril de 2012 llevado a cabo en el parque arqueológico Las Piedras del Tunjo, Colombia, con el cual se da inicio a un proyecto de investigación en la línea de Memoria, Patrimonio y Conflicto Etnopolítico. El texto busca exponer y reflexionar sobre la manera en que una comunidad autorreconocida como “indígena muisca” lucha por interpretar y apropiar socialmente el registro arqueológico, lu- chando contra los sentidos que le otorga la academia y el Esta- do a tal archivo patrimonial. El trabajo busca además proponer nuevas rutas de análisis frente a los conflictos etnopolíticos en- marcados en escenarios en los que el diálogo intercultural pare- ce ser una utopía.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017-10 PGPI Newsletter
    Portland Gold Prospectors, Inc. GPAA Portland, Oregon Chapter The Legend of El Dorado October, 2017 The Muisca raft (Balsa Muisca in dimensions of 19.5 cm x 10.1 cm Come join us at our Spanish), sometimes referred to and various figures on the raft, next meeting. as the El Dorado Raft, is an artistic the largest figure that stands in October 15th at 1:30pm. figure of pre-Columbian gold the middle apparently represents Milwaukie Grange hall votive, drafted by the Muisca who the chief, which is adorned with 12015 SE 22nd, Milwaukie, OR established one of the four grand headdresses, nose rings and The Portland Gold Prospectors civilisations in the Americas on the earrings, measuring 10.2 cm and meetings are the third Sunday of Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the is surrounded by his soldiers who every month beginning at 1:30pm. Eastern Ranges of the Colombian carry banners. All interested parties are invited Andes. to attend the monthly meetings. The raft was found by three Become a member of the Portland farmers in early 1969 in a cave Gold prospectors, Inc a chapter of in the village of the Gold Prospectors Association of Lázaro Fonte in the America. municipality of Pasca For info contact Jerry Johns, (Cundinamarca), [email protected] or visit www. Colombia in a ceramic portlandgoldprospectors.org. pot, adorned with a human figure whose Presidents Blog face has sharp teeth. The October 2017 priest of the municipality Fall is upon us and the chapter protected the piece until it is getting ready to have its last was acquired by Bogota’s outing of the year on Oct 8th.
    [Show full text]
  • La Restauracion De Metales En El Museo Del Oro
    Juanita Sáenz Obregón La restauracion de metales en el Museo del oro La restauracion de metales en el Museo del oro A la memoria de Luis Barriga del Diestro · Juanita Sáenz Obregón Museo del Oro, Banco de la República Abstract: 1 The Museo del Oro was a pioneer in the restoration of pre-Hispanic pieces in Colombia. Around the precious metal work collection, technical and scientific studies have been produced, and they have developed and applied diverse techniques for the conservation and restoration of the pieces. Some restoration cases are illustrated of objects belonging to the cultural patrimony of all Colombians. Key words: Restoration, conservation, metallurgy, precious metal work collection, Museo del Oro. Resumen: El Museo del Oro fue pionero en la restauración de piezas prehispánicas en Colombia. Alrededor de la colección de orfebrería se han producido estudios científicos y técnicos, y se han desarrollado y aplicado diversas técnicas para la conservación y restauración de las piezas. Se ilustran casos de restauración de objetos que forman parte del patrimonio cultural de todos los colombianos. Palabras clave: Restauración, conservación, metalurgia, colección de orfebrería, Museo del Oro. Boletín Museo del Oro No 47 Julio de 2000 Juanita Sáenz Obregón La restauracion de metales en el Museo del oro Recordando el dicho oriental que dice “El viento nunca cuenta de dónde viene ni a dónde va...” siento que esto nunca pasará con una pieza arqueológica. Cada una de ellas nos cuenta su propia historia, por eso es necesario hacer el recuento de la restauración en el Museo del Oro. El objetivo del Museo es no dejar olvidar la huella de aquellos que hace siglos crearon estos objetos; es un patrimonio al que se debe proteger, restaurar y divulgar con el fin de acercar estas culturas a nuestra vida.
    [Show full text]
  • Forced Displacement and Reconstruction in Contemporary Colombia
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Claiming Lands from the City: Forced Displacement and Reconstruction in Contemporary Colombia DISSERTATION Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In Anthropology By Andrés Salcedo Fidalgo Dissertation Committee: Professor Teresa Caldeira, Chair Professor William Maurer Professor Susan Coutin Professor Karen Leonard 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi CURRICULUM VITAE ix ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION xi Introduction: Contemporary Colombian Social Disarticulations 1 Bogotá: Disconnected Cities 11 Fieldwork 16 Blocking the Pain of Violence 25 The Battle of the Oaks 32 Scheme of the Dissertation 36 Chapter 1 Geopolitics of War in Historical Light 38 Is it a War? 41 Techniques of Fear 42 A History of Violence Revisited 50 Competing Sovereignties and the Rule of Violence 59 Plan Colombia, FTA and Peace Process with Paramilitaries 66 Geo-warfare 71 Conclusion 83 Chapter 2 Mobility, Victimhood and Place 85 Forced Displacement and Migration 86 Humanitarian Discourses 94 Colombian State’s Assistance 100 Countering Victimization 105 Place and Stigma 114 Conclusion 125 iii Chapter 3 Remembering the Land of “Before” 127 Place-memories 128 Motherland 132 A Land of Plenty 136 Former Work and Social Standing 141 Forgetting War 145 Mementoes in Practices of Resettlement 147 Conclusion 152 Chapter 4 From Struggles over Land to the Politics of Ethnicity 156 Ethnicity and the 1991 Constitution in Colombia 163 History of Colombian Agrarian Movements
    [Show full text]
  • The Licit and the Illicit in Archaeological and Heritage Discourses
    CHALLENGING THE DICHOTOMY EDIT ED BY LES FIELD CRISTÓBAL GNeccO JOE WATKINS CHALLENGING THE DICHOTOMY • The Licit and the Illicit in Archaeological and Heritage Discourses TUCSON The University of Arizona Press www.uapress.arizona.edu © 2016 by The Arizona Board of Regents Open-access edition published 2020 ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-3130-1 (cloth) ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-4169-0 (open-access e-book) The text of this book is licensed under the Creative Commons Atrribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivsatives 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means that the text may be used for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Cover designed by Leigh McDonald Publication of this book is made possible in part by the Wenner-Gren Foundation. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Field, Les W., editor. | Gnecco, Cristóbal, editor. | Watkins, Joe, 1951– editor. Title: Challenging the dichotomy : the licit and the illicit in archaeological and heritage discourses / edited by Les Field, Cristóbal Gnecco, and Joe Watkins. Description: Tucson : The University of Arizona Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016007488 | ISBN 9780816531301 (cloth : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Archaeology. | Archaeology and state. | Cultural property—Protection. Classification: LCC CC65 .C47 2016 | DDC 930.1—dc23 LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/2016007488 An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access for the public good.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legend of Bogota by Mariordo (Mario Robertoby Mariordo Durán Ortiz)Via Wikimedia (Own Work) Commons
    The Legend of Bogota By Mariordo (Mario RobertoBy Mariordo Durán Ortiz)via Wikimedia (Own work) Commons A golden Muisca raft The Muisca people of Colombia had an unusual line of succession for its zipas, or rulers. The zipa’s oldest sister’s oldest son always became the next zipa. Tisquesusa became zipa of the southern Muisca Confederation in 1514 after his uncle died. The Muisca Confederation was one nation of people that was ruled by different people in the north and south. Tisquesusa was as ready as he’d ever be. His family had just come out of mourning for his uncle. They had mummified him and buried him only a few short days before. Beside him in his royal tomb, they placed pottery, food, golden ornaments, and other necessities for the afterlife. Tisquesusa had spent the last days fasting and felt weak but purified. The ceremony was about to start. Tisquesusa solemnly boarded the raft with his attendants and the village holy men by the shores of Lake Guatavita. 1 © 2018 Reading Is Fundamental • Content created by Simone Ribke The Legend of Bogota When the water was about chest-deep, Tisquesusa dropped his ceremonial robe. He let the priests cover his body in a sticky sap. Then they covered him from head to toe in gold dust until he shone and sparkled like the Sun god himself. Tisquesusa submerged himself in the water, purifying himself for his people, for the quality of his reign, and for the goddess of the lake. The people on the shore and those on the raft began to throw gifts of gold and of emeralds into the lake.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Muisca Indigenous Sounds in the Colombian Andes
    Nymsuque: Contemporary Muisca Indigenous Sounds in the Colombian Andes Beatriz Goubert Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2019 © 2019 Beatriz Goubert All rights reserved ABSTRACT Nymsuque: Contemporary Muisca Indigenous Sounds in the Colombian Andes Beatriz Goubert Muiscas figure prominently in Colombian national historical accounts as a worthy and valuable indigenous culture, comparable to the Incas and Aztecs, but without their architectural grandeur. The magnificent goldsmith’s art locates them on a transnational level as part of the legend of El Dorado. Today, though the population is small, Muiscas are committed to cultural revitalization. The 19th century project of constructing the Colombian nation split the official Muisca history in two. A radical division was established between the illustrious indigenous past exemplified through Muisca culture as an advanced, but extinct civilization, and the assimilation politics established for the indigenous survivors, who were considered degraded subjects to be incorporated into the national project as regular citizens (mestizos). More than a century later, and supported in the 1991’s multicultural Colombian Constitution, the nation-state recognized the existence of five Muisca cabildos (indigenous governments) in the Bogotá Plateau, two in the capital city and three in nearby towns. As part of their legal battle for achieving recognition and maintaining it, these Muisca communities started a process of cultural revitalization focused on language, musical traditions, and healing practices. Today’s Muiscas incorporate references from the colonial archive, archeological collections, and scholars’ interpretations of these sources into their contemporary cultural practices.
    [Show full text]
  • South American Archæology; an Introduction to the Archæology Of
    ••••1 '( !f;i '". ")..<•/«'*'-< »/. ' " l|il'i " l iPi i>i UnwHHft lm 1 "l l W ll(8 . a» m CORNELL , UNIVElt'^'rY^ LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 ' BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Date Due w 'm:T^^m^ nBssrrrmii ^m' Cornell University Library F 2229.J89 South American archaeology; »" i"'™,"!'"?''" 3 1924 020 446 989 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924020446989 SOUTH AMERICAN ARCHiE O LOGY TLATE I SOUTH AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ARCHE- OLOGY OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EA^LY HISTORY OF PERU. BY THOMAS A^|OYCE, MA. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND A MAP NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS MDCCCCXII F A^>in.r4> PREFACE IT is not without great diffidence that I have ven- tured to compile the following chapters on the archaeology of South America. The subject is one of great magnitude, and the literature dealing with it is vast. Besides this, there exist so many gaps in our knowledge, gaps which can only be filled by years of patient excavation, that the formation of theories is still a precarious task. At the same time it is useful to pass in review the work which has already been completed, with the object both of pointing out the missing links in the chain of evidence, and of stimulat- ing further research by calling attention to the results already achieved.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Meaning the Indigenous Muisca Cemetery of Usme, Colombia: Ethnography of Collaborative Project and Patrimonial Debate
    RE-MEANING THE INDIGENOUS MUISCA CEMETERY OF USME, COLOMBIA: ETHNOGRAPHY OF COLLABORATIVE PROJECT AND PATRIMONIAL DEBATE Pablo F. Gómez-Montañez Candidate to PhD in Anthropology of Universidad de los Andes, Colombia Researcher of Group of Memory, Universidad Santo Tomás, Colombia E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The paper exposes an ethnographic view of a collaborative field work, made in Hacienda El Carmen in Usme, Colombia, a terrain where an indigenous muisca cemetery was found. The analysis focuses on the struggles between the named “authorized patrimonial discourse” and the “cultural process of patrimony”. In the first part, I want to expose the processes that led us to purpose a current collaborative research project implemented by the Universidad Santo Tomás’ Group of Memory and the Indigenous Muisca Community of Bosa. Based on a situational analysis methodology, this part is the result of an ethnographic field work of some spaces of dialogue and encounter among different logics to understand the patrimony and the heritage. In middle of struggles with the public institutions, the academy and other social groups, the muisca people build and negotiate their ethnic identity as part of their cultural and political project. In the second part, the situational analysis will be applied in scenarios where the muisca people began to interpret the archaeological territory of Hacienda El Carmen. In this part, I will try to expose some epistemological reflections about alternative and inclusive ways of knowledge and remembering. The new senses and narratives, produced as a result of this exercise, let us thinking about the symbolic strategies used by the muisca people to occupy an important place in the present and the possibility of understanding and purposing current citizen visions from creative and original ways of incorporate ancestral memories.
    [Show full text]
  • Scanned by Scan2net
    CHIBCHA LEGENDS IN COLOMBIAN LITERATURE A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN SPANISH IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AR TS AND SCIENCES BY EDWINA TOOLEY MARTIN, B.A . DENTON, TEXAS MAY, 1962 Texas Woman's University University Hill Denton, Texas _________________________ May • _________________ 19 q_g__ __ W e hereby recommend that the thesis prepared under om supervision by -----'E'---'d"-'w"-'1=-· n=-=a ----"'T'--"o'--'o'-'l=-e=-y.,__c...cM-=a-=r-=t-=i'-'-n'-------- entitled Chibcha Legends in Colombian Literature be accepted as fulfilling this part of the requirements for the D egree of Master of Arts. Committee Chairman Accepted: ~f~ ... 1-80411 PREFACE La legende traduit les sentiments reels des peuples. Gustav Le Bon For centuries the golden treasure of the pre-conquest inhabitants of Colombia, South America, has captured man's imagination. The various legends of El DQrado led to the exploration of half of the South Am erican continent and the discovery of the Amazon River. It also lured Sir Walter Raleigh on the ill-fated expedition that finally cost him his head in the tower of London. These legends have inspired Colombia's men of letters and interested such foreign writers as Milton, Voltaire, and Andres/ Bello. Although it is true that the imaginative and psychological aspects of the legends are of particular interest to the student of a foreign culture, a legend may contain elements of historical truth also. Since these legends pro- vide insight into the early history of Colombia, an effort to find and preserve them has been made.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cosmological, Ontological, Epistemological, and Ecological Framework of Kogi Environmental Politics
    Living the Law of Origin: The Cosmological, Ontological, Epistemological, and Ecological Framework of Kogi Environmental Politics Falk Xué Parra Witte Downing College University of Cambridge August 2017 This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology Copyright © Falk Xué Parra Witte 2018 Abstract Living the Law of Origin: The Cosmological, Ontological, Epistemological, and Ecological Framework of Kogi Environmental Politics This project engages with the Kogi, an Amerindian indigenous people from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range in northern Colombia. Kogi leaders have been engaging in a consistent ecological-political activism to protect the Sierra Nevada from environmentally harmful developments. More specifically, they have attempted to raise awareness and understanding among the wider public about why and how these activities are destructive according to their knowledge and relation to the world. The foreign nature of these underlying ontological understandings, statements, and practices, has created difficulties in conveying them to mainstream, scientific society. Furthermore, the pre-determined cosmological foundations of Kogi society, continuously asserted by them, present a problem to anthropology in terms of suitable analytical categories. My work aims to clarify and understand Kogi environmental activism in their own terms, aided by anthropological concepts and “Western” forms of expression. I elucidate and explain how Kogi ecology and public politics are embedded in an old, integrated, and complex way of being, knowing, and perceiving on the Sierra Nevada. I argue that theoretically this task involves taking a realist approach that recognises the Kogi’s cause as intended truth claims of practical environmental relevance. By avoiding constructivist and interpretivist approaches, as well as the recent “ontological pluralism” in anthropology, I seek to do justice to the Kogi’s own essentialist and universalist ontological principles, which also implies following their epistemological rationale.
    [Show full text]