Ecuador Indigenous Identity

Each of Ecuador’s indigenous groups has a distinct ethnic identity, and many identify more strongly with their ethnicity than with the Ecuadorian state. Until the mid-20th century, the government mainly catered to the needs of the white and mestizo majority of its population and hardly at all to those of indígenas. As in most of Latin America, this unbalanced socio-political order is the legacy of colonial times, when indigenous peoples comprised the slave labor force in Spanish- and Creole-owned haciendas, mines, and factories. Though liberal governments at the beginning of the 20th century sought to incorporate indígenas into the national community, the legacy of colonial exploitation remained. In the name of fighting for equality, liberals attempted to pass legislation that would free indígenas from ties to the church or private landholders. However, some interpreted this as an attempt by politicians to claim indigenous land and labor for themselves. Indigenous groups resisted these measures, and in 1937 two laws were enacted to reinforce indigenous rights to own land communally.

The Indigenous Response

Starting in the 1960s, indigenous and human rights organizations began to demand equality for Ecuadorian indígenas. A 1961 demonstration in Quito by 12,000 indigenous peasants demanded social change ...more

The Government's Response

More recently, the Ecuadorian government has attempted to incorporate aspects of indigenous experience and tradition into collective national identity. The Roldós-Hurtado administration (1979-84) ...more

The Indigenous Reaction

Irritated that the government has aimed to achieve indigenous assimilation rather than support, indígenas have developed a number of organizations to voice their desires and complaints. In 1989 ...more

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