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  • National Defense University Press Blog: Patricia Olney Reviews Martin Edwin Andersen's Peoples of The Earth

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    Martin Edwin Andersen
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    Peoples of the Earth is probably the most honest and comprehensive examination and analysis available of the dozens of indigenous social movements that have erupted in the Western Hemisphere since the end of the Cold War. In this volume, Andersen establishes both the threat and the opportunities that indigenous mobilizations represent. He argues that accommodating their demands for sovereignty over their territories and lives, and their pleas for a more just distribution of resources, is not only imperative from a moral and democratic perspective, but is also demanded from a strategic one. His arguments may be seen as sympathetic toward indigenous peoples, but he shows how their interests and those of the countries in the region are mostly complementary and represent a positive sum game. Meanwhile, the costs of not accommodating their demands could include the spread of anti-American populist regimes, alliances between indigenous and radical leftist and/or Islamic groups, and the eruption of violence. Andersen suggests that left unheeded, indigenous movements could represent an existential threat to individual states and to the region at large. He therefore recommends making them strategic allies and bringing indigenous peoples into the democratic fold, making each country’s democracy more inclusive. Andersen starts by framing the rise of indigenous movements as a result of a "global decolonization" process triggered in the wake of post–Cold War democratization. The combination of the emergence of a powerful international human rights lobby and a transnational global network facilitating indigenous organizing helped create opportunities for indigenous peoples to express their demands. One of the main reasons Andersen believes Latin American governments have resisted accommodating indigenous demands is because they misunderstand both the nature of the movements and the realities they represent, partly due to longstanding practices of paternalism and racism. Conflating leftist movements and indigenous ones, for example, can lead them to be seen as Cold War–style communist threats, when in fact their demands are quite distinct from those of the leftist movements latching onto them. Andersen notes, for example, that indigenous peoples do not oppose globalization or free markets as do radical leftists, but in fact they only challenge free trade agreements affecting resources situated on their territories. They join forces with leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales because of the exclusionary policies of more liberal national elites.

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    Peoples of the Earth is probably the most honest and comprehensive examination and analysis available of the dozens of indigenous social movements that have erupted in the Western Hemisphere since the end of the Cold War. In this volume, Andersen establishes both the threat and the opportunities that indigenous mobilizations represent. He argues that accommodating their demands for sovereignty over their territories and lives, and their pleas for a more just distribution of resources, is not only imperative from a moral and democratic perspective, but is also demanded from a strategic one. His arguments may be seen as sympathetic toward indigenous peoples, but he shows how their interests and those of the countries in the region are mostly complementary and represent a positive sum game. Meanwhile, the costs of not accommodating their demands could include the spread of anti-American populist regimes, alliances between indigenous and radical leftist and/or Islamic groups, and the eruption of violence. Andersen suggests that left unheeded, indigenous movements could represent an existential threat to individual states and to the region at large. He therefore recommends making them strategic allies and bringing indigenous peoples into the democratic fold, making each country’s democracy more inclusive. Andersen starts by framing the rise of indigenous movements as a result of a "global decolonization" process triggered in the wake of post–Cold War democratization. The combination of the emergence of a powerful international human rights lobby and a transnational global network facilitating indigenous organizing helped create opportunities for indigenous peoples to express their demands. One of the main reasons Andersen believes Latin American governments have resisted accommodating indigenous demands is because they misunderstand both the nature of the movements and the realities they represent, partly due to longstanding practices of paternalism and racism. Conflating leftist movements and indigenous ones, for example, can lead them to be seen as Cold War–style communist threats, when in fact their demands are quite distinct from those of the leftist movements latching onto them. Andersen notes, for example, that indigenous peoples do not oppose globalization or free markets as do radical leftists, but in fact they only challenge free trade agreements affecting resources situated on their territories. They join forces with leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales because of the exclusionary policies of more liberal national elites.

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    National Defense University Press Blog: Patricia Olney Reviews Martin Edwin Andersen's Peoples of The Earth

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    Martin Edwin Andersen
    Peoples of the Earth is probably the most honest and comprehensive examination and analysis available of the dozens of indigenous social movements that have erupted in the Western Hemisphere since the end of the Cold War. In this volume, Andersen establishes both the threat and the opportunities that indigenous mobilizations represent. He argues that accommodating their demands for sovereignty over their territories and lives, and their pleas for a more just distribution of resources, is not only imperative from a moral and democratic perspective, but is also demanded from a strategic one. His arguments may be seen as sympathetic toward indigenous peoples, but he shows how their interests and those of the countries in the region are mostly complementary and represent a positive sum game. Meanwhile, the costs of not accommodating their demands could include the spread of anti-American populist regimes, alliances between indigenous and radical leftist and/or Islamic groups, and the eruption of violence. Andersen suggests that left unheeded, indigenous movements could represent an existential threat to individual states and to the region at large. He therefore recommends making them strategic allies and bringing indigenous peoples into the democratic fold, making each country’s democracy more inclusive. Andersen starts by framing the rise of indigenous movements as a result of a "global decolonization" process triggered in the wake of post–Cold War democratization. The combination of the emergence of a powerful international human rights lobby and a transnational global network facilitating indigenous organizing helped create opportunities for indigenous peoples to express their demands. One of the main reasons Andersen believes Latin American governments have resisted accommodating indigenous demands is because they misunderstand both the nature of the movements and the realities they represent, partly due to longstanding practices of paternalism and racism. Conflating leftist movements and indigenous ones, for example, can lead them to be seen as Cold War–style communist threats, when in fact their demands are quite distinct from those of the leftist movements latching onto them. Andersen notes, for example, that indigenous peoples do not oppose globalization or free markets as do radical leftists, but in fact they only challenge free trade agreements affecting resources situated on their territories. They join forces with leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales because of the exclusionary policies of more liberal national elites.

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    N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E U N I V E R S I T Y M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 0

    NDU PRESS BLOG

    Off the (Electronic) Shelf: Patricia Olney Reviews Martin Edwin Andersens Peoples of the Earth

    Peoples of the Earth: Ethnonationalism, Democracy, and the Indigenous Challenge in "Latin" America By Martin Edwin Andersen Lanha ! Maryland: Le"in#ton Boo$s! %&'& %() pp* +,&*&& -SB.: (,/0&0,1('021('0(

    Revie ed !y 3R* PA4R-5-A OL.E6 Peoples of the Earth is pro7a7ly the ost honest and co prehensive e"a ination and analysis availa7le of the do8ens of indi#eno9s social ove ents that have er9pted in the :estern ;e isphere since the end of the 5old :ar* -n this vol9 e! Andersen esta7lishes 7oth the threat and the opport9nities that indi#eno9s o7ili8ations represent* ;e ar#9es that acco odatin# their de ands for soverei#nty over their territories and lives! and their pleas for a ore <9st distri79tion of reso9rces! is not only i perative fro a oral and de ocratic perspective! 79t is also de anded fro a strate#ic one* ;is ar#9 ents ay 7e seen as sy pathetic toward indi#eno9s peoples! 79t he shows how their interests and those of the co9ntries in the re#ion are ostly co ple entary and represent a positive s9 #a e* Meanwhile! the costs of not acco odatin# their de ands co9ld incl9de the spread of anti=A erican pop9list re#i es! alliances 7etween indi#eno9s and radical leftist and>or -sla ic #ro9ps! and the er9ption of violence* Andersen s9##ests that left 9nheeded! indi#eno9s ove ents co9ld represent an e"istential threat to individ9al states and to the re#ion at lar#e* ;e therefore reco ends a$in# the strate#ic allies and 7rin#in#
    1

    indi#eno9s peoples into the de ocratic fold! incl9sive*

    a$in# each co9ntrys de ocracy

    ore

    Andersen starts 7y fra in# the rise of indi#eno9s ove ents as a res9lt of a ?#lo7al decoloni8ation? process tri##ered in the wa$e of post05old :ar de ocrati8ation* 4he co 7ination of the e er#ence of a powerf9l international h9 an ri#hts lo77y and a transnational #lo7al networ$ facilitatin# indi#eno9s or#ani8in# helped create opport9nities for indi#eno9s peoples to e"press their de ands* One of the ain reasons Andersen 7elieves Latin A erican #overn ents have resisted acco odatin# indi#eno9s de ands is 7eca9se they is9nderstand 7oth the nat9re of the ove ents and the realities they represent! partly d9e to lon#standin# practices of paternalis and racis * 5onflatin# leftist ove ents and indi#eno9s ones! for e"a ple! can lead the to 7e seen as 5old :ar0style co 9nist threats! when in fact their de ands are @9ite distinct fro those of the leftist ove ents latchin# onto the * Andersen notes! for e"a ple! that indi#eno9s peoples do not oppose #lo7ali8ation or free ar$ets as do radical leftists! 79t in fact they only challen#e free trade a#ree ents affectin# reso9rces sit9ated on their territories* 4hey <oin forces with leaders li$e Aene89elaBs ;9#o 5hCve8 and BoliviaBs Evo Morales 7eca9se of the e"cl9sionary policies of ore li7eral national elites* 4he a9thor also 7elieves that a widely held fearDthat #rantin# indi#eno9s peoples a9tono y over their territories represents a threat to national soverei#ntyDis a is9nderstandin#* ;e s9##ests that once their de ands are acco odated! indi#eno9s peoples will wor$ with the state in ways that will act9ally enhance national soverei#nty* -n s9 ! he ar#9es that! at least in so e cases! acco odatin# indi#eno9s peoples de ands ay 7e the 7est safe#9ard a#ainst the threats he identifies! and that it co9ld 7oth reinforce soverei#nty and deepen de ocracy* -n 7oth the concept=oriented chapters of Part - and the si" case st9dies in Part --! Andersen provides any e"a ples of potential sec9rity threats that co9ld arise as a res9lt of the contin9ed e"cl9sion of indi#eno9s peoples* Perhaps the #reatest threat e anates fro the overlap 7etween indi#eno9s peoples! nat9ral reso9rces! and wea$ or failin# states* Andersen never pretends to have all of the answers! 79t he s9##ests that statesB ref9sal to acco odate indi#eno9s peoplesB de ands ris$s their radicali8ation and event9al alliance with anti=A erican #ro9ps! incl9din# radical -sla ic #ro9ps* ;e provides several facts to s9pport this clai * Eirst! there are ideolo#ical si ilarities that ay e"plain why -sla is spreadin# rapidly thro9#ho9t the re#ion* Second! he points to -sraeli intelli#ence reports of ;i87allahs intention of wor$in# thro9#h indi#eno9s peoples to esta7lish a foothold in the :estern ;e isphere* 4here is also the conversion to -sla of the Aene89elan :ay99 tri7e led 7y 4eodoro 3arnott! who clai s to head ?;i87allah Latin A erica*? Andersen ri#htly points o9t that indi#eno9s peoples have 7een loc$ed o9t 7y e"cl9sionary elites* ;e disc9sses e"ternal actors involved in ove ents that co9ld threaten states and! fro a strate#ic standpoint! appears to p9rposef9lly leave the reader with 9nanswered @9estions* Eor e"a ple! #iven the levels of cri e and isery
    2

    he reveals on reservations in developed co9ntries! and the e"a ple of a secessionist ove ent in .icara#9a! why is a9tono y a 7etter strate#y than assi ilation for pro otin# the welfare of indi#eno9s peoples and the sec9rity of the co9ntryF Also! does e powerin# wea$ and 9nassi ilated actors in wea$ states necessarily enhance sec9rityF 4his 7oo$ helps the caref9l reader to consider! if not address! s9ch challen#in# @9estions* Peoples of the Earth is a well=written! encyclopedic acco9nt of the indi#eno9s awa$enin# in the :estern ;e isphere* 4he 7oo$ is 9ni@9e in that it represents the hi#hest @9ality in social science! yet still provides all of the infor ation needed 7y analysts to see the wide ran#e of sec9rity threats posed 7y indi#eno9s activis and state responses in the :estern ;e isphere* -t is well worth readin# and co9ld lead to the for 9lation of proactive sec9rity strate#ies that ne9trali8e the e"plosive potential of this post05old :ar pheno enon* 3r* Patricia Olney is an Associate Professor of Political Science at So9thern 5onnectic9t State Gniversity and speciali8es in Latin A erican sec9rity iss9es*
    http://ndupress.blogspot.com/2010/11/off-electronic-shelf-patricia-olney.html

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