History “out of context”: artifacts of history among the comcaac of northern Mexico and amerindian records of conflict

Abstract

Inspired by Marilyn Strathern, this article examines the conflict between the necessity of building a frame of reference or context, and the pragmatic theories of the Comcaac or Seris of the coasts of northern Mexico, in what pertains to certain artifacts, such as baskets, which carry their own specific context. My aim is to experiment with the analytical effects of this conflict through the notion of the Amerindian record of conflict, and to contribute to a broader debate on the writing of contemporary indigenous history and the construction of contexts that take the nation state as a frame of reference.

Keywords:
Context; Indigenous history; Conflict record; Comcaac