Historization or founding time: Chachi political centralization and autonomous strategies of the Awa group

Abstract

This article explores how Chachi and Awa indigenous groups from the Ecuadorian coast manipulate time in their respective sociopolitical strategies, contrasting the political centralization of the Chachi with the decentralized autonomy of the Awa. Following post-structuralist critique, the dichotomy between "primitive" and "modern" societies is questioned by showing how myth and history coexist and manifest in social practice. For the Chachi, political centralization facilitates a dynamic historicity, allowing for an active reinterpretation of the past. In contrast, the Awa employ decentralization and evasion of the past as strategies to deal with modernity and racism, resulting in a "penalization" of the past. The analysis reveals how these distinct approaches to temporality reflect and affect the sociopolitical and cultural structures of both groups, challenging traditional conceptions of historicity in indigenous societies.