Chicanismo, indigenous identity and lateral violence: a qualitative study of indigenous identified individuals in Colorado

Abstract

This thesis research project examines the reported narratives of those individuals that identify as Indigenous, and contrasts the experiences of tribally enrolled and federally recognized individuals against individuals who are not federally recognized to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Indigenous identity, the Chicano claim to indigeneity and the relationship between these two communities. Qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-three individuals--adults that are tribally enrolled and federally recognized and adults that identify as Indigenous but are not federally recognized--to examine how gringismo impacts and informs lateral violence in the Indigenous communities of Colorado. The findings of this study provide new insights to understanding how colonialism has shaped Indigenous identity, informed lateral violence and hostility, and undermined pan-Indigenous unity through desplazamiento--dislocation and dissociation--and susto heredado.