Saliha Belmessous: Theoretical and Methodological Challenges in Mapping the Tapestry of Indigenous Legal and Political Systems

This presentation will explore the methodological opportunities and
challenges associated with foregrounding Indigenous ideas and
perspectives within early modern legal and political history.
It will examine the significant barriers that have hindered the recognition
of Indigenous legal systems as valid legal orders and their integration
into legal and political scholarship.
These barriers include claims of cultural incommensurability regarding
Indigenous concepts, ongoing debates about the authority of scholars to
navigate diverse cultural frameworks, and considerations of authorship
and agency in evaluating claims interpreted through European lenses or
norms. In addition, the presentation will consider Indigenous rights claims
to reclaim Indigenous agency and illuminate the interplay between
Indigenous and European ideologies.

Saliha Belmessous is British Academy Global Professor and Fellow of Corpus Christi, University of Oxford.