A Dialogue Between Multicultural Political Theory and Mexican Political Thought on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples

This thesis focuses on the rights of indigenous peoples in settler colonial societies. It does so by creating a dialogue between multicultural political theory and Mexican political thought on three important topics: (i) indigenous self-determination; (ii) the rights of vulnerable members of indigenous communities; and (iii) land. By endorsing a dialogical approach to comparative political theory, I will show sometimes these two different traditions of political thought reach similar conclusions, whereas at other times the stances developed are profoundly different. In general, my argument is that an engagement with Mexican political thought offers invaluable insights into the condition of indigenous peoples, which enable us to move closer to a deeper understanding of what is at stake in their struggles. In particular, I will show that Mexican political thought highlights three crucial aspects of such struggles. First, in a context like Latin American settler colonialism, indigenous identities cannot be regarded simply as cultural products; they are inherently political. This means that such identities both constrain and enable the mobilisation and demands for justice of those who are framed by (and reclaim) them in deep and important ways. Second, and relatedly, Mexican political thought shows that the demands for justice pressed by indigenous peoples cannot be merely taken as calls for cultural equality in pluralistic states or for control over cultural goods. They are always about holding the settler colonial state to account and making it responsive towards the enduring historical injustices that indigenous peoples suffer from. Third, Mexican political thought brings into stark relief the pivotal role that settler colonialism plays in shaping the identities and struggles of indigenous peoples.