Depicting the Slow Violence of Colonialism in Rural Yucatán, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Reckoning with Violence" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Rob Nixon’s concept of slow violence helps to explain the impact of colonialism on rural livelihoods in Yucatán, Mexico. However, is a violence framework useful to those who face colonialism’s long-term consequences? This paper considers the resources and tools that residents of a Yucatecan town have at their disposal when advocating for their community, and the extent to which adopting a narrative of past slow violence may or may not support enhanced political representation, public health, education, employment opportunities, and heritage initiatives. To provide accurate depictions of history that ring true to life in the town, violence narratives, if adopted, require counterpoints, such as survivance stories (sensu Gerald Vizenor) that highlight community strengths and achievements. In what ways can community members tell histories to varied audiences to support their work toward positive change, and what types of informational products and events best suit the dissemination of selected narratives?

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Reckoning with Violence   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 722