SCS-32: Indigenous Perspectives, Ancient and Modern: A Mountaintop Coalition Panel

Organizers

Tara Wells, Duke University

Discussants

Dan-el Padilla Peralta, Princeton University

Introducers

Dan-el Padilla Peralta, Princeton University

Description

Indigenous peoples have long faced the harmful effects of colonialism, imperialism, and racism (Jennings; Puglionesi). They are frequently misrepresented in or excluded entirely from the historical record (Bataille and Silet; Berkhofer). The Americas offer countless examples of the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples for the benefit of white colonizers in pursuit of advancing so-called Western civilization. This panel explores the role of Classical antiquity in this history of the Americas, focusing on the influence of ancient sources and ideologies on modern systems of oppression which have negatively affected Indigenous peoples. Panelists not only examine colonialist, imperialist, and racist ideologies from the ancient Mediterranean to the modern Americas, but also highlight Indigenous perspectives in several important ways: recovering Indigenous experiences through ancient texts; acknowledging negative impacts of Classically-focused education; uplifting voices of Indigenous scholars in meaningfully contributing to DEI initiatives in the academy. The panel also advances the Mountaintop Coalition's mission of professional development for people traditionally underrepresented in the field. It is informed by the diverse experiences of the panelists, all early career or un-tenured scholars with personal connections to Indigeneity and whose lives are shaped by existing as marginalized people in the Americas, academia broadly, and the discipline of Classics in particular. Diverse communities and tribal affiliations represented include: Cherokee-Chickasaw; Chicanx; Diné; Muskogee (Creek); Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation; Wiyot; Yurok. Together, the papers illuminate new ways of recognizing how Classical sources and ideas have fueled modern attitudes towards Indigenous peoples of the Americas.