Native American Hegemonic Struggle and Problematizations: Exploring the Connections between Tribal Socioeconomic Disparities and Differences in Power and Place within Capitalist Society

Abstract

While Native Americans collectively fall among the most socioeconomically marginalized groups in American society, disparities in resources and wealth among different tribes are more substantial than often assumed, and a complex array of structural and cultural factors go into accounting for these. In order to get a sense of Native American discourses and consider them in light of their historical contexts in navigating issues of self-determination in a broader capitalist society, I conduct a qualitative analysis of an array of tribal newspapers. To a large degree, these discourses show how tribes differ in their connections to the broader capitalist economy and society. I use three major theoretical ideas to sensitize and inform the analysis: Burns and LeMoyne’s concept of “prioritizing summary symbols,” Gramsci’s theory of “hegemony,” and Foucault’s notion of “problematization.” I find evidence that differences in discursive approaches to Native American problematizations and summary symbols such as “traditional” indigenous culture versus “western” capitalism, self-determination, sovereignty, and tribal economic development, reflect differences in power and privilege among tribes. Seen in a comparative and historical context, my work can help to inform how language and culture are situated in broader hegemonic struggles.