Last weeks reading by Eduardo Galeano (Open Veins of Latin America) provides a detailed depiction of the historical forces that have shaped Latin America today. The author provides a historical account of the exploitation and colonization, working hardships, land degradation and cultural losses of the indigenous populations of Latin America. He forces one to pause and consider the current situation of indigenous populations in Latin America today and it’s relationship to the past. Currently, indigenous populations of Latin America are struggling and small, making up roughly 10.17% of the total population in Latin America (Montenegro and Stephens 2006). They have higher mortality and morbidity indicators that their non Indigenous counterparts, and “…in some cases indigeneity can be a proxy indicators of poverty against which to measure health disparities”(Montenegro and Stephens 2006: 1863).
The vivid picture Galeano paints of historical indigenous exploitation is not limited to his area of study. Upon further investigation of other countries, regions, states, cities, and towns, it is clear that this concept does not exist within a single locality, but rather is global in nature. The world wide indigenous colonization, exploitation, and destruction can be found in Africa, the Arctic, Asian Countries, India, North America, in our own cities and towns, its hard to find a place where such events have not occurred. As such, one is forced to consider why certain individuals, cultures, even entire countries experience poverty while others prosper. It is through an analysis of the historical particularities of cultural groups that we can come to understand current inequality as embedded in systems of long standing hegemony. Galeano writes of the Indians that have suffered and continue to suffer, the curse of their own wealth, as the drama of all Latin America (Galeano 1973:47), but perhaps this is the drama of indigenous groups around the world.
This concept is important when critically considering the need and application of aid in international and community settings. To approach a group and lend aid, I feel requires a consideration of why these individuals need this help. What led them to their current state of impoverishment, malnutrition, homelessness, disease or famine? It is difficult to pin point an exact causation of such complex states, but I feel a consideration is necessary. By acknowledging the historicity of the situation perhaps more effective aid can be organized while similarly pushing individuals to more carefully consider cultural context to provide assistance in a more unbiased, uncritical, and effective manner. Who these individuals and groups truly are, and the situations they are in are as much a result of unfortunate circumstance as the historical particularities of their culture and the long-standing restrictions it has imposed upon them. As a service provider I feel it is important to strive towards truly understanding the situation of the receiver. With this perhaps stigma may also dissipate, allowing for proper representation of groups and more effective intervening aid.
2 replies on “Reflecting on Galeano, by Samara Mayer (student directed seminar)”
Great post Samara. I always enjoy articles that use the word ‘hegemony’. I need to introduce my engineering pals to the word. Acknowledging history can not only affect the way we provide ‘service’ but re-frame the whole power dynamic between ‘donor’ and ‘receiver’ countries. We may have to speak of ‘debt owed’ rather than ‘service provided’. This is seen in campaigns such as Jubilee South that call for the cancellation of illegitimate financial debt accumulated by exploited countries, and also reparations for the destructive effects of debt collection and resource extraction. What do you all think of the effect of debt cancellation compared to ‘aid’?.
I really enjoyed reading your post Samara. I felt I could really resonate with what you said about many things, especially about understanding the historicity of a culture or region to better understand the current circmstances and/or challenges that face them. Being that my own family fled from a Latin American country due to the oppression and war that was ensuing for over many decades, I’ve always wanted to know why, and what are the root causes of the affliction,injustice and conflict my country suffers from. After reading Galeano’s take on what has shaped Latin America today , I felt a better sense of understanding of how it all started and why Latin American countries share a similar pattern of poverty and inequity. My sense of gratitude for having the oppurtunity to disect this from an outsiders point, since I live in Vancouver has been great, yet since childhood I ALWAYS knew that there was something I could do to put my gratitude for the quality of life that I live here in action. This is why I am taking this course.
I appreciate your words of wanting to understand the circumstances/situation of the receiver, as this can truly make the world of a difference in the actions taken and the effects that they can have in short term and more importantly long term and sustainable change for BOTH the donor and receiever of international service.