Argentina's 1910 Centennial and the Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples

In 1910, Argentina celebrated its centennial with grand expositions and parades in Buenos Aires, showcasing the nation's European-inspired progress. But this display of modernity deliberately excluded the country's indigenous peoples. This episode explores the Congreso de los Indios, a staged event where caciques like Namuncurá were paraded as relics of a vanishing past, while the official narrative erased their ongoing presence. We discuss how President Roque Sáenz Peña and the ruling elite used the centennial to promote immigration and whiteness, contrasting with the harsh realities of frontier violence and land dispossession. Drawing on sources like La Prensa and La Nación, we examine the paradox of a nation celebrating unity while enforcing exclusion. The episode also touches on the legacy of Sarmiento's 'civilization and barbarism' dichotomy and how the centennial's imagery shaped Argentina's self-image for decades.

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