About this book:

*Indigenous Sovereignties and Modern States* provides a comprehensive legal and political history of Indigenous movements across South America, specifically focusing on the intersection of ancestral self-governance and the development of modern nation-states. The book moves from the 19th-century republican era, which sought to dismantle communal land tenure in favor of liberal property regimes and extractive booms like the rubber industry, to contemporary struggles for self-determination. It argues that Indigenous sovereignty is not a relic of the past but a dynamic, ongoing practice that reshapes state law and political imagination through legal pluralism and territorial defense.

The narrative highlights the emergence of powerful Indigenous federations in the late 20th century, particularly in the Andean and Amazonian regions, and their sophisticated use of "strategic litigation" in both national and international courts. These movements successfully pushed for landmark constitutional reforms in Ecuador (2008) and Bolivia (2009), which formally recognized "plurinationality" and the "Rights of Nature." The text details the complex implementation of these rights, focusing on the friction between constitutional promises of autonomy and the state’s continued reliance on "extractivism"—the industrial removal of oil, gas, and minerals from Indigenous territories—which often circumvents the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).

A significant portion of the work explores the diverse arenas where sovereignty is enacted, including urban centers, digital platforms, and environmental governance schemes like REDD+. The book emphasizes that territorial rights involve more than just land titles; they encompass the right to manage education, health, and justice systems according to customary norms. Case studies from Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador illustrate how communities resist the criminalization of protest and utilize transnational networks of NGOs, churches, and international human rights bodies to hold states accountable to global standards.

The final chapters address the future of Indigenous autonomy in the face of the global climate crisis and shifting demographic trends. It examines the role of digital sovereignty and participatory mapping in defending borders, the unique challenges of urban Indigenous politics, and the importance of gendered perspectives in kinship-based governance. Ultimately, the book concludes that the future of South American democracy depends on the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and the ability of new Indigenous leaders to navigate the tensions between ancestral traditions and modern bureaucratic systems to ensure collective flourishing and ecological justice.

What You'll Find Inside:

• The book examines how Indigenous peoples across South America have asserted sovereignty as an ongoing practice of governing land and life, challenging the notion of state sovereignty as singular and absolute.
• It traces the historical development of Indigenous legal thought and customary law systems, showing how they persist, adapt, and innovate within changing political orders from the 19th century to present.
• The work analyzes key contemporary struggles including land titling and demarcation, free prior and informed consent (FPIC), extractivism conflicts, and constitutional recognition of plurinationality in Ecuador and Bolivia.
• It highlights the critical roles of Indigenous women, urban Indigenous movements, transnational networks, and digital sovereignty efforts in shaping modern sovereignty struggles.
• The book explores how Indigenous territorial governance offers alternatives to extractive development models, connecting land defense to climate justice, biodiversity conservation, and intergenerational leadership.

Who's It For:

The book speaks to scholars and practitioners in law, political science, history, and Latin American studies, as well as advocates engaged in community defense and policy reform. It will be particularly valuable for those studying Indigenous rights, legal pluralism, environmental justice, and decolonial movements in South America. The interdisciplinary approach makes it relevant for anyone working on territory, sovereignty, and the relationship between Indigenous peoples and modern states.