In this chapter we argue that recourse to legal strategies and discourses to strategically further the aims of indigenous movements shapes the ways their aspirations are represented. Indigenous identities in Guatemala are effectively being narrated or codified through dominant legal discourses, specifically international human rights law and multiculturalism. We argue this has resulted in the frequent projection of an essentialized, idealized, and timeless indigenous identity as part of actions to secure greater autonomy rights. However, such framings fail to reflect the complexity and dynamics of social relations in the wake of the armed conflict.
(2001) “Impulsando las demandas indígenas a través de la ley: Reflexiones sobre el proceso de paz en Guatemala,” in Pedro Pitarch (ed.), Representaciones y usos del concepto de Derechos Humanos en el Área Maya, Universidad Complutense, Madrid: 55-82. ISBN: 84-923545-1-8