On Cowboys and Indians: Double Alienation & the Construction of Whiteness in the American Southwest

In the United States the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico) is a region marked by a violent and brutal history of settler colonialism that has led to a present-day uneasy relationship between white and indigenous populations. These spaces are demarcated by geopolitical borders between cities and reservations. The region nevertheless aesthetically identifies itself through the appropriation of indigenous cultural symbols, creating a kitsch aesthetic regime. This aesthetic has since been exported (marketed) throughout the world, often by so-called “new age” cultures and insidious ‘festival clothes,’ manifesting a white cultural fantasy of indigenous culture.

In this semi-autobiographical paper, I will activate the psychoanalytic-Marxist concept of double alienation to map the construction of whiteness via the creation of the metonymic figure of the ‘good Indian’. This fantasy, however, becomes untenable when confronted with the realities of the reservation system. Beyond the problematic discourses on recognition, I will argue that American and European cultures need to confront the history of genocide and reject the Southwestern aesthetics marketed around the globe.

The Marxism in Culture seminar series was conceived in 2002 to provide a forum for those committed to the continuing relevance of Marxism for cultural analysis. Both ‘Marxism’ and ‘culture’ are conceived here in a broad sense. We understand Marxism as an ongoing self-critical tradition, and correspondingly the critique of Marxism's own history and premises is part of the agenda. ‘Culture’ is intended to comprehend not only the traditional fine arts, but also aspects of popular culture such as film, popular music and fashion. 

Image credit: David Mabb