C.G. Jung and the indigenous psyche: two encounters

A critical analysis reveals that Carl Jung's encounter with Antonio Mirabal at Taos Pueblo was not a straightforward meeting with a 'primitive' leader but rather a staged interaction orchestrated by influential figures like Mabel Dodge Lujan, D.H. Lawrence, and Jaime de Angulo. Archival records and news accounts from the 1920s show that Mirabal, far from being an 'Indian chief,' was a sophisticated Native American impresario who later engaged with U.S. presidents. The study debunks Jung's misinterpretations, including his incorrect spelling of Mirabal's Tiwa name, Ochwiay Biano, and highlights the colonialist underpinnings in Jung's relationship with indigenous peoples, which have persisted in subsequent Jungian-indigenous encounters.

Barton, D. G. (2016). C.G. Jung and the indigenous psyche: two encounters. International Journal of Jungian Studies, 8(2), 75–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/19409052.2016.1140066