Coloniality,“new media,” and mediations: A theoretical-conceptual review for the study of indigenous communication mediated by digital technologies

Abstract

This study presents a theoretical-conceptual approach to understanding Indigenous communication mediated by digital technologies, a perspective that originates from Latin America. To achieve this, it articulates insights from the Decolonial Turn, particularly the concept of the coloniality of power, in conjunction with communication studies on “new media” and interactive digital media, as well as mediation. The concept of coloniality reveals the dominant ethnic-racial classification mechanisms present in the modern/colonial world system and the process of ethnogenesis that shapes the struggles of the Indigenous movement in Latin America. The concept of “new media” facilitates the exploration of the unique features of emerging interactive digital media systems when examined through the lens of Indigenous communication praxis. Finally, the category of mediation is employed to understand the logical relationships dictated by communication and culture in the decolonization struggle, emphasizing the significance and importance of the Decolonial Turn and the concept of coloniality of power.