Sharing anthropological knowledge, decolonizing anthropology: Emberá indigeneity and engaged anthropology

This chapter focuses on the indigenous identity of an Amerindian group, the Embera, and their interest in the work and that of other anthropologists. Sharing anthropological understandings about the Embera with the Embera has had a transformative effect on the author career as it has encouraged it to walk the fine line that separates engaged and academic anthropology. The interest the Embera have in ethnographic information represents a desire to improve indigenous cultural representation by introducing into it knowledge about declining cultural practices, historical events, and a comparative awareness of internal variation within Embera culture. The chapter explains an ethos of sharing can make three important contributions to the development of an engaged perspective in anthropology: it challenges the divide between engaged and disengaged anthropology; it advances the project of decolonizing anthropology by shifting the direction of the translation of knowledge, sharing knowledge about indigenous culture, history and identity can aid in the articulation of new narratives of indigeneity.