Indigenismo and the Second Radical Wave: 1910–1930

Abstract

Two indigenista movements founded in the capital opened branch offices in Tarma town in the early twentieth century. One was the Asociación Pro Derecho Indígena, 1909–1916, which dissolved largely due to political differences among the founding members. The other was the Comité Central Pro Derecho Indígena Tahuantinsuyu, 1920–1927, founded with support from the former Asociación and Socialist Party but then outlawed by President Leguía. The goals of the two movements had much in common, but their histories took different directions with respect to the interpretations, actions, and reactions they inspired. Indigenismo was always a slippery concept. Much depended on who was speaking to what audience, in what context, and whether the state was involved. Indigenismo could express a sympathetic awareness and concern with the wellbeing of contemporary indigenous peoples. This was “often expressed as a desire to elevate Indians from their lowly position so that they might enjoy the benefits available to other citizens” (Earle 2008: 185). But indigenismo could also become stridently racist, depicting indios as defective human beings whose duty would always be to serve the superior social classes. In some Andean towns, indigenismo took on yet another dimension as a result of political struggles with the capital. Thus, in Cusco, de la Cadena (2000: 63) observes, “indigenismo capitalized on its wide-ranging potential appeal to become a doctrine of politically plural regionalist ideology that united cuzqueños against dominant limeño centralism.”