Beyond Territorialization? State Constructions of the Indigenous Subject of Rights in Multicultural Colombia

This article traces the Colombian state’s constructions of indigeneity and territory to highlight their enduring inter-relation. In this inter-relation, “territory” is conflated with rural areas, and territorial rights are confined to Indigenous resguardos (reserves). Three political implications arise from this inter-relation. First, Indigenous collectives in urban areas face continued obstacles to recognition. Second, while resguardos have been critiqued for enclosing communities, attention should also be paid to Indigenous political struggles to exceed their boundaries. Third, some transitional justice measures that grant victimhood to Indigenous territories have reproduced essentialist notions of “territory” and culture, undermining their decolonial potential.