Indigeneity, Essentialism and the Decolonial Project in Psychology

The notion of indigeneity is central to the discourse of decolonization in psychology, but it has been taken up unevenly in different contexts. Through a comparison of discourse on the decolonization of psychology in different countries, specifically Cuba, South Africa and the Philippines, this paper considers some of the tensions and contradictions inherent in attempts to decolonize psychology, specifically where these focus on the recognition and recovery of indigenous epistemologies, “world views” or philosophies. The development of indigenous psychologies is often seen as radical resistance to the modern epistemologies of psychological science, as well as a resource for more hospitable, sustainable ways of being in the world. While the reclamation of indigeneity is an important aspect of the decolonial imperative, this paper explores how this focus all too often devolves into problematic forms of essentialism, and obscures the racial and class inequalities that also constitute the colonial condition. The paper concludes by considering the ways in which “indigeneity” itself may also be coopted for neoliberal and nationalist agendas.