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Silencing indigenous pasts: critical Indigenous theory and the history of psychedelics

In this manuscript, I reflect on how Critical Indigenous theory offers white historians like myself powerful conceptual tools to combat the underlying, historically-rooted colonial assumptions prevalent in their work, specifically within the subfield of psychedelic history. Histories of compounds li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of qualitative studies in education 2021-11, Vol.34 (10), p.904-914
Main Author: Ens, Andrea
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:In this manuscript, I reflect on how Critical Indigenous theory offers white historians like myself powerful conceptual tools to combat the underlying, historically-rooted colonial assumptions prevalent in their work, specifically within the subfield of psychedelic history. Histories of compounds like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, ayahuasca, and mescaline often center themselves on the experiences of white male researchers, clinicians, politicians, and countercultural leaders. These colonizing narratives exoticize, marginalize, and/or misinterpret Indigenous histories of these substances. While important work is being done to address this academic inequity, Critical Indigenous Theoretical perspectives and approaches could help historians reframe their characterizations of Indigenous communities' relationships with psychedelics. I explore these ideas through a critical examination of my own previous writing and current projects. This section identifies how I intend to carry the lessons of Critical Indigenous Theories forward in my present and future scholarly work.
ISSN:0951-8398
1366-5898
DOI:10.1080/09518398.2021.1942297