Tell me my story

Abstract

Grounding on a research experience conducted in the northwestern Quichè area of Guatemala, the article engages with disciplinary debates on ethnography and the relationship with native interlocutors at the "restitution" stage, with native interlocutors intended as critical readers and users of the ethnographic text. By using examples of collaborative research and co-production of knowledge, the author addresses the importance of ethical and professional responsibility in telling the stories s/he collects. The article also examines the risks and opportunities of establishing canonical versions of local history through the presentation of native narratives and archival documentation. In conclusion, the author calls for experimenting with new strategies to bring the polyphony of ethnographic experiences back into anthropological writing.