Interculturality from Below : Territoriality and Floating Indigenous Identities in Plurinational Ecuador

Resumen

This text problematizes the perceptions and visions held by leading spokespersons of the indigenous movement regarding the challenges and dilemmas related to the advancement of the Plurinational State and the intercultural society in post-2008 Ecuador. From a constructivist viewpoint, the study emphasizes that different factions of the indigenous movement nurture varying connotations of the tension-ridden plurinationality-interculturality nexus, depending on their historical relationship with the territory and the nature of their ethnocultural identity. Theoretically drawing on theories of deliberative democracy and indigeneity-territoriality, the article constitutes a synthesis of previous debates on the subject, backed up by years of ethnographic work in the field. A central finding indicates a relative consensus that Plurinational Ecuador must be built on inclusion and cross-ethnic co-operation. However, according to the interviewees, harmonious interculturality will not materialize without the grassroots-led practical implementation of the Plurinational State.