Now Peru Is Mine: The Life and Times of a Campesino Activist
Now Peru Is Mine: The Life and Times of a Campesino Activist
by Manuel Llamojha Mitma and Jaymie Patricia Heilman
Duke University Press, 2016
ISBNs
Cloth: 978-0-8223-6218-0
Paper: 978-0-8223-6238-8
eISBN: 978-1-4780-9114-1 (OA)
eISBN: 978-0-8223-7375-9 (standard)
About the Book
Born in 1921, Manuel Llamojha Mitma became one of Peru's most creative and inspiring indigenous political activists. Now Peru Is Mine combines extensive oral history interviews with archival research to chronicle his struggles for indigenous land rights and political inclusion as well as his fight against anti-Indian racism. His compelling story—framed by Jaymie Patricia Heilman's historical contextualization—covers nearly eight decades, from the poverty of his youth and teaching himself to read, to becoming an internationally known activist. Llamojha also recounts his life's tragedies, such as being forced to flee his home and the disappearance of his son during the war between the Shining Path and the government. His life gives insight into many key developments in Peru's tumultuous twentieth-century history, among them urbanization, poverty, racism, agrarian reform, political organizing, the demise of the hacienda system, and the Shining Path. The centrality of his embrace of his campesino identity forces a rethinking of how indigenous identity works inside Peru, while the implications of his activism broaden our understanding of political mobilization in Cold War Latin America.
About the Author
Manuel Llamojha Mitma (1921-2016) was an indigenous political activist who formerly served as the head of the Peruvian Peasant Confederation from 1962 to 1978.
Jaymie Patricia Heilman is Associate Professor of History and Classics at the University of Alberta and author of Before the Shining Path: Politics in Rural Ayacucho, 1895–1980.
Jaymie Patricia Heilman is Associate Professor of History and Classics at the University of Alberta and author of Before the Shining Path: Politics in Rural Ayacucho, 1895–1980.
Reviews
-- M. Becker Choice
-- William O. Deaver, Jr. Journal of Global South Studies
-- Javier Puente Journal of Latin American Studies
-- Eugene Carey Latin American Review of Books
-- Peter Klarén The Americas
-- G. Antonio Espinoza Ethnohistory
-- Joseph P. Feldman Hispanic American Historical Review
-- Dan Cozart The Latin Americanist
-- Waskar T. Ari-Chachaki Native American and Indigenous Studies
"Heilman has made a significant contribution to the literature by bringing Llamojha's story to a broad audience. . . . [T]he book works equally as well for general audiences or undergraduate classrooms as for specialists seeking thoughtful reflections on the political uses of identity. . . . Highly recommended. All levels/libraries."
-- M. Becker Choice
"The book is well-written and illustrated with photographs, excerpts from Llamojha's writings, and maps of the area of his activity.... Now Peru is Mine is a useful tool for learning about Peru's politics and history over the last century."
-- William O. Deaver, Jr. Journal of Global South Studies
"Now Peru is Mine is a major academic, intellectual and editorial success. Every specialist and student of Latin America, the Andes and Peru will enjoy this book. This is an exemplary study of how a single life illustrates the complexities of a century."
-- Javier Puente Journal of Latin American Studies
"This is a moving and fascinating account of indigenous activism in a turbulent era that will be of great value to historians and political scientists seeking to understand the motives and sacrifices of those at the heart of their disciplines."
-- Eugene Carey Latin American Review of Books
"We follow this gripping story of travail and turmoil through Llamojha’s simple, but heartfelt narrative, guided by Heilman’s skilled interviewing, as it unfolds on multiple fronts—local, regional and international. . . . Indeed a unique and worthy contribution that helps fill a large void in the historiography of the second half of the twentieth century."
-- Peter Klarén The Americas
“By writing this important book, Heilman and Llamojha have provided general readers, college students, and specialists alike the chance to find both learning and inspiration in the life story of a contemporary Peruvian activist.”
-- G. Antonio Espinoza Ethnohistory
“Now Peru Is Mine succeeds in offering a highly accessible and instructive account for students of Latin America and Peru specialists. One hopes that many readers get to know Llamojha Mitma and that his life story might serve to inspire new scholarship and new struggles.”
-- Joseph P. Feldman Hispanic American Historical Review
“A highly accessible book that provides unique insights on Peruvian society and politics.”
-- Dan Cozart The Latin Americanist
"This book is a handsome contribution to scholarship on Indigenous activists, their historical context, and the activist intellectual role in the Andes. . . . [Now Peru Is Mine] is an excellent piece to teach Modern Latin America and other courses on Indigenous peoples’ history in the Americas."
-- Waskar T. Ari-Chachaki Native American and Indigenous Studies
Tags
Narrating Native Histories, Peru, South America, Life, Latin America, Cultural & Social, Politics and government, Anthropology, Biography, 20th century, Social Science, History
Open Access Information
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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