Silencing indigenous pasts: critical Indigenous theory and the history of psychedelics
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education June 21, 2021 Andrea Ens 21 citations
Critical Indigenous theory can help white historians combat colonial assumptions in psychedelic history. Histories of LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and mescaline often center on white male researchers and leaders, exoticizing or misinterpreting Indigenous relationships with these substances. The author examines their own past and current writing to show how these theoretical perspectives can reframe characterizations of Indigenous communities. The argument suggests that applying Critical Indigenous approaches can address academic inequity in the field.