Paper short abstract:

In this plenary presentation I explore the usefulness of the notion of inauthenticity for encouraging an appreciation of hybridity, innovation, adaptation and social change. I examine this through the example of an indigenous group striving to access modernity but in an authentic manner.

Paper long abstract:

There is an underlying paradox in discussions premised on the perception of inauthenticity: as anthropologists and archaeologists confront inauthenticity they come one step closer to acknowledging innovation and the potential for generating new authenticity. Inauthentic identities and objects can foster an appreciation for hybridity and syncretism, or help us understand social change and cultural adaptation. Very often, and especially in cases that involve representation or performance, inauthenticity entails improvisation and cultural creativity. It is in this respect that anthropologists and archaeologists can reveal the authentic in the inauthentic. Undoubtedly, inauthenticity, when approached from the prism of essentialism, can be denigrating to certain cultural expressions; but, when approached with an analytical spirit, it can direct our attention to the dynamic and fluid qualities of change: the re-invention of tradition as authentic culture experienced and shared. I will briefly explore this possibility by looking at the example an Embera community in Panama, which strives to access modernity in an authentically indigenous manner.