Communalism, self-determination, and indigeneity. Murray Bookchin’s libertarian municipalism and the Indigenous experience in Bolivia and Chile

In contrast to the Kurdish Rojava movement, which draws inspiration from Murray Bookchin’s political theory, the Aymara in Bolivia and the Mapuche in Chile make no reference to communalism in their political movements. Recognition of their right to self-determination as Indigenous peoples—among the most significant in demographic and political terms in their respective countries—nevertheless connects them to the debates surrounding communalism. They propose a conception of this right that breaks from the nation-state framework, claiming self-government for communities through traditional principles—often reinvented—and their organization into confederations. The parallel with Bookchin’s proposals for communalism is striking. However, the typically social context and the colonial legacy shaping the situation of Indigenous peoples place this theory in tension, while also allowing it to be tested against borderline cases. A gain in analytical precision becomes possible, notably through engagement with anarcho-indigenism, a current that draws on Indigenous peoples to reinforce anarchist theory.