RP4: Mignolo

I really enjoy reading Mignolo. The pieces we have read so far have are straightforward, readable and informative. In “Indigenous People are Not Necessarily ‘Latin’ and Perhaps Not Entirely ‘Americans Either,” Walter D. Mignolo contends that “knowledge is produced, accumulated, and critically used everywhere” in the world; however, since many countries do not have the resources to validate their knowledge the “imperial power knowledge” is the most endorsed which causes the most dominant body of knowledge to silence the less credible knowledge (115). He asserts the notion and use of “Latin America” points towards the silenced histories and knowledge of “Indigenous knowledge” that is not the same as German or French knowledge (116). Notably, Mignolo argues that an Indigenous intellectual has to be knowledgeable of the philosophers: Kant and Waman Puma- an intellectual he categorized alongside Kant, and further suggests that a German or French intellectual does not have to be informed oh Waman Puma and only of Kant (117).

Furthermore Mignolo describes the history of “interculturalidad” and the difference between those notions and “multicultural” notions. In order to assess how “decolonial delinking” works Mignolo describes that “interculturalidad” is two co-existing bodies (Western and Indigenous) where a reciprocal relationship allows, “collaborate conversation” for both sides. In contrast, “multicultural” suggests the principal knowledge acknowledged and controlled is held by the state; therefore people could have their “cultures” as long as they do not argue with that validated state knowledge. Leaning towards “interculturalidad” he writes, “Instead, “interculturalidad” would lead to a pluri-cultural state with more than one valid cosmology,” where he follows through to describe a world where people’s cultures co-exist and are all considered valid (120). Mignolo then describes the creation and transformation of “Latin America” going from the time where philosophy dominated over theology and culture within universities. Then towards the “corporate university” where people “purchase education” for “promotional” purposes, which emphasizes that “Latin America” was brought up within a Western world. He uses the knowledge to present how the use of “Latin America” has and will continue to be used as a way to show the silencing of the Indigenous people who were not part of “Latin America’s” creation.

I think Mignolo works towards suggesting a more incorporating form of system where all worlds’ part of the whole are validated, voiced, and considered which follows a very utopian ideal. How would his view of an all-encompassing body apply to the United States (considering specificities of the “country”)? Is implementation possible? Beneficial? Do I want it? I really enjoy reading Mignolo because the abstract ideas we have discussed and presented are more tangible now.