On te category of 'first nations'

Notes for a conceptual history

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15174/rv.v18i37.868

Abstract

This paper examines the historical conditions under which the category "indigenous peoples" was coined to elevate and displace the categories "Indian" or "indigenous" from the registers in which our cultural dimension is expressed. It also discusses the social contexts of its presence in politics, academia, and the media. Among these conditions is the widespread struggle for the vindication of the rights and recognition of the "identities" of "indigenous peoples" in the context of decolonization and in the face of the influence of "progressive" discourses. This paper assumes that applications of the category have not been accompanied by an in-depth discussion that offers answers to questions about its epistemological and historical-philosophical foundation, its conceptual effectiveness, and its semantics, given its rhetorical nature and its tendency to essentialize the "indigenous" condition.

Keywords: indigenous peoples, epistemology, philosophy, conceptual history.

Author Biography

Aureliano Ortega Esquivel, Universidad de Guanajuato

Doctor en Filosofía por la UNAM. Actualmente es profesor-investigador de tiempo completo en la Universidad de Guanajuato. Es miembro del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores y Profesor con perfil PRODEP. Ha sido profesor e investigador en instituciones privadas (Enciclopedia de México, 1977-1979) y públicas (UNAM 1977-1982, INAH, 1978-1981). Ha presentado ponencias y dictado conferencias científicas y de divulgación en eventos nacionales e internacionales, y realizado estancias académicas en el país y el extranjero (España). Fundó y coordina, a partir de 2004, el Seminario de Filosofía de la Historia y Pensamiento Iberoamericano en la Universidad de Guanajuato. Ha publicado artículos y capítulos sobre cultura, política y sociedad en libros, revistas especializadas y suplementos culturales y políticos, tanto mexicanos como extranjeros. Entre sus libros se cuentan: Historiografía e identidad y otros ensayos sobre la filosofía de la historia mexicana [2009]. Ensayos sobre México [2014]. José Revueltas: Los usos de la dialéctica [2016]. Filosofía mexicana [2019]. Ensayos sobre marxismo crítico en México [2019] y Critica e identidad. Ensayos sobre la cultura nacional mexicana [2020]. En 2010 fue nombrado “Profesor honorario” por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. En el año 2014 participó en la fundación de la “Cátedra José Revueltas de Filosofía y Literatura” de la Universidad de Guanajuato. A partir de 2018 es Coordinador de la Sub-Sede Universidad de Guanajuato de la Red Unitwin/Catedra UNESCO para la Lectura y Escritura. Entre 2022 y 2024 fue presidente de la Asociación Filosófica de México A. C.

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Published

2026-01-06

How to Cite

Ortega Esquivel, A. (2026). On te category of ’first nations’: Notes for a conceptual history. Valenciana, 19(37), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.15174/rv.v18i37.868

Issue

Núm. 37 (2026): Valenciana, enero-junio 2026

Section

Artículos

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Copyright (c) 2025 Aureliano Ortega Esquivel

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