The Lettered Indian: Race, Nation, and Indigenous Education in Twentieth-Century Bolivia

The Lettered Indian explores the moral dilemmas and political stakes involved in the protracted struggle over Indian literacy and schooling in the Bolivian Andes, interweaving state-centered and imperial episodes with ethnographies of Aymara peasant protagonists and their pro-school initiatives.

Format: Hardback
Length: 496 pages
Publication date: 12 January 2024
Publisher: Duke University Press

The Lettered Indian is a groundbreaking work that brings together the fields of social history, Andean ethnography, and postcolonial theory to explore the moral dilemmas and political stakes involved in the protracted struggle over Indian literacy and schooling in the Bolivian Andes. Authored by Brooke Larson, the book delves into the major state efforts made by Bolivia to educate its unruly Indigenous masses at key junctures in the twentieth century. Larson's approach is unique in that she intertwines state-centered and imperial episodes of Indigenous education reform with vivid ethnographies of Aymara peasant protagonists and their extraordinary pro-school initiatives. By examining the field of vernacular literacy practices and peasant political activism, Larson sheds light on the transformation of the rural "alphabet school" from an instrument of the civilizing state into a tool of Aymara cultural power, collective representation, and rebel activism.

Through her meticulous research and analysis, Larson challenges prevailing narratives of race and indigeneity, nation and empire, in postcolonial Bolivia and beyond. She highlights the complex interplay of power, resistance, and cultural transformation that shaped the educational landscape and the lives of Aymara communities. The Lettered Indian is a must-read for scholars and students interested in Latin American history, education, and the politics of identity. It provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the complexities of colonialism, indigenous resistance, and the ongoing struggle for social justice in the Andean region.

In conclusion, The Lettered Indian is a groundbreaking work that offers a fresh perspective on the history and politics of education in postcolonial Bolivia. Through its interdisciplinary approach and rich ethnographic detail, Larson provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex dynamics that shape societies in the Global South.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478020653