Introduction : Indian problems, Indian solutions -- The Aymara in the civil war of 1899 : enemies or ally of the Liberal Party? -- From Aymara liberals to exemplary Incas : nation building in early twentieth-century Bolivia -- Incantations of nation and the theatrical performance of the Inca past -- New stages in defining Indian identity : the ethnic politics of Caracollo's contemporary Inca play -- Conclusion : Inca play, Aymara encore
Summary
For most of the postcolonial era, the Aymara Indians of highland Bolivia were a group without representation in national politics. Believing that their cause would finally be recognized, the Aymara fought alongside the victorious liberals during the Civil War of 1899. Despite Aymara loyalty, liberals quickly moved to marginalize them after the war. In this book, the author revisits the events of the civil war and its aftermath to dispel popular myths about the Aymara and reveal their forgotten role in the nation-building project of modern Bolivia
