Recasting Commodity and Spectacle in the Indigenous Americas

Indigenous artists frequently voice concerns over the commodification of their cultures, a process acutely felt by those living with the consequences of colonialism. This timely volume, which features colour illustrations, excavates recent histories of indigenous performance in different parts of the Americas and invites us to re-examine indigeneity's distinctive relationship with economies of display, at local and regional scales. Making reference to aesthetic forms, intellectual property and political empowerment, each chapter addresses the creative ways in which performance practices are mobilized by indigenous artists and communities to resist imposed stereotypes and shape their own complex identities. Leading academics and practitioners register the vibrancy of a wide array of indigenous arts and cultural events in the USA, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Canada, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Belize and trace the circulation of creative products and practices as commodities, as cultural capital and/or as heritage. Through a focus on performance idioms in music, festive events, film, photography, theatre and museum installations, these essays paint a fascinating picture of the ways in which spectacles of cultural difference enter the public sphere, and how they are remodelled in the hands of skilled indigenous practitioners.