Paper short abstract:

How can we bring together and visualize the plurality of voices involved in the ethnographic research? This paper critically tackles this question by exposing the preliminary results of the project MEDIOS INDIGENAS, an investigation on indigenous and afroamerican communities' uses of new media.

Paper long abstract:

Since the end of the 20th century, indigenous and African-American peoples have played a leading role in the redefinition of numerous Latin American states and societies. New indigenous and African-American media have emerged, mainly radios, digital news agencies and video producers, reaching an outstanding presence in the social networks.

Indigenous media have revealed themselves as active platforms for political agendas and new forms of social mobilization. In addition, they are devices for discussing and redefining cultural diversity and ethnic stereotypes and challenging the imposition of political patterns.

INDIGENOUS MEDIA (http://mediosindigenas.ub.edu/) is based on a set of ethnographic studies whose objective is to understand the relationship between indigenous and Afro-American minorities and the new media. It is also aimed at investigating the actual uses of indigenous and afroamerican media, delving into their meanings and their social effects.

The main objective of the project is to develop a set of "indigenous and African-American theories" of media communication. To do this, we designed a website, still under construction, with a triple objective: (1) Mapping and making visible the diversity and span of indigenous and African-American media. (2) Acting as a meeting platform among indigenous and African-American communicators, anthropologists, experts and a general audience thus fostering the research itself; (3) Setting up a communication channel for this multi-modal and collaborative project -which includes films, photos and texts.

This approach is committed with the ethical and epistemological urgency to integrate the plurality of voices and worldviews that intersect in an ethnographic investigation about media.