HUICHOLES: THE LAST PEYOTE GUARDIANS is a story about the mystical Wixárika People, one of the last pre-Hispanic alive cultures in Latin America, and their ongoing struggle against the Mexican government and multinational mining corporations to preserve Wirikuta, their most sacred territory and home of the famous peyote cactus. (HuicholesFilm)
The drought this summer that affected the southern part of the United States actually extended into Zacatecas, Mexico, and has had a devastating effect on the Indigenous population. Ethnic groups like the Raramuri or Tarahumara, and Wixrarika or Huichol who are subsistence farmers, have been devastated by the shortfall of corn, beans and squash, their main staples.
For many years now, local gallery owner Kevin Simpson has worked with the Mission in Creel as well as the Huichol Traditional Government of San Andres Cohamiata and would like to try to do whatever possible to alleviate the problems the indigenous people in Mexico are currently experiencing.
To that effect, Simpson and his team are collecting non-parishable food staples, blankets, jackets, and shoes from locals and tourists alike who are interested in helping the Tarahumara and Huichol get through these tough times.
Deep in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Western Mexico live the Huichol Indians. Very little is known about the exact origins of the Huichol, but today they are clinging to a set of customs and beliefs that make them one of the best preserved Pre-Columbian tribes in the Western Hemisphere.
Since 1997, we have been traveling up to the ancient Huichol Indian Ceremonial Center of San Andres Cohamiata where we have followed a number of Huichol families through their daily lives and have documented the ceremonies that set them apart from the rest of the world. Through our website, we will give you a never before seen look into the Huichol Indian ceremonial cycle and will be marketing their art for the money they need to host their traditional rituals and ceremonies.
Peyote People is a fair trade co-operative based in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, that provides most of the carvings to our artists as well as new iridescent glass beads that are imported exclusively by us into Mexico for our artists to use in their art.
We have been recognized by the Huichol Indian Traditional Government of San Andres Cohamaita for not only promoting their artwork but also for our commitment to the preservation of their customs and traditions through what we call "Cultural Authenticity."
"Cultural Authenticity may be an invisible quality but it is what separates the 'urban' Huichol from those who actually live in the Sierra and are actively involved in the preservation of their cultures traditions."
Very little is known about the exact origin of the Huichol, but we do know that they call themselves "Wirrarika", which can be translated to mean prophets or healers.
Their dialect comes from the Uto-Aztecan family of dialects. Because of their geographic isolation, it was not until 1722, almost 200 years after the conquest of Mexico, that Franciscan missionaries were finally able to penetrate the Sierra and built a church in San Andres Cohamiata.
The missionaries brought with them colorful glass beads to trade with the Huichol in the hopes of converting them to Christianity. The Franciscans were able to exhort a considerable amount of influence on the Huichol, however they were never successful in converting the Huichol and abandoned them after about 100 years.
The Franciscans may not have been able to convert the Huichol, however, they did leave their mark on the culture. The colorful glass beads that they traded to the Huichol were quickly adapted for use not only in their personal adornment but were also used in their votive bowls and other religious artifacts.
We didn't get our first real look at the Huichol however until the late 1890's. It was in 1890 that the American Museum of Natural History sent Norwegian explorer Carl Lumholtz into the Sierra to look for the Anasazi.
Lumholtz spent a total of 8 years traveling through the Sierra and never found the Anasazi but was the first to actually document the Huichol. Lumholtz described caves filled with ceremonial objects like prayer arrow, votive bowls, stone disks and idols sparsely decorated with glass beads and wrote this about the culture:
"In spite of missionary work in the past, today there is no priest among them, the churches are in ruins, and the Huichol are in the same state of barbarism as when Cortez first put foot on Mexican soil. The introduction of sheep, cattle,
and iron implements has modified to some extent their mode of life but not so much as one would expect... Still their ancient beliefs, customs, and ceremonies all remain in their pristine vigor."
Today, there are over 20,000 Huichol spread out in the Sierra, but believe it or not only a handful have ever gained international recognition for their artwork.
Jacinto Lopez Ramirez is an elder Huichol probably best recognized for his pictures that appear on page 125 in the book "Art of the Huichol" ed. Kathleen Berin 1978, or his photo on the cover of "Huichol Symbolism" by Ramon Mata Torres, or his photo in the book "The Huichol of Mexico" by Peter Collings; but what most people don't know is that Jacinto was one of the biggest influences in the commercialization of the bead art in the late 1960's.
In 1967 Jacinto Lopez Ramirez was chosen to be governor of San Andres Cohamiata by a council of elders known as the Kawiteros. At that time there was an airstrip in San Andres but for those who could not afford to fly out of the Sierra, it was an 8-day hike to the first road. It was Jacinto who successfully petitioned the Mexican Federal Government to put a road into the Sierra connecting San Andres Cohamiata with the rest of the world for the first time.
Born in the early 1930's in a cave just outside of San Jose, Jacinto has spent more than half of his life serving his community as shaman and spiritual advisor. At age 20, Jacinto married 15-year-old Angelita Carrillo from Mesa del Venado. They lived for a few years in San Jose before moving to another ranch in the state of Durango, Mexico. Jacinto always liked living in Durango, but the 3-day hike to San Andres was overbearing so they settled between San Jose and San Andres on a ranch they called "Rosas de San Juan."
Jacinto has served his community as cantador or singing shaman in the temple of San Jose for 5 years, 10 years as cantador in the temple of Cohamiata, and 5 years as cantador in the temple of Las Guayabas. He has been Aguacil or judge of San Andres, as well as Commissario or Sheriff just to mention a few of the more important positions that he has held in the community.
Today, at just over 75, he is still a well-respected shaman and participates in all family ceremonies and rituals.
Jacinto and Angelita had 6 daughters and one son. Maria, Cecelia, Leonarda, Ramona, Yolanda, Teresa, and Florencio have all taken on important roles in the community and continue to dazzle us with their fantastic yarn painting and intricate bead art.
Today, we are very, very proud to be able to say that we market their art for the money they need to host the rituals and ceremonies that keep their cultures traditions alive!
Kevin Simpson and his team are collecting non-parishable food staples, blankets, jackets, and shoes from locals and tourists alike who are interested in helping the Tarahumara and Huichol get through these tough times.
Donations can be dropped off at Peyote People, 222 Juarez, or Colectika at 858 Guadalupe Sanchez.
Visit our Peyota People Native Folk Art Gallery in Puerto Vallarta or visit our ebay store online.
For more information, email Kevin at peyotepeople@yahoo.com.
Last updated: July 10, 2019 · Charity ID: 703
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27Nov2019 | Riviera Nayarit Hosts Wixarika Commercial & Cultural Expo![]() Riviera Nayarit Visitors & Conventions Bureau ![]() Head to San Pancho for this traditional event with the participation of Wixaritaris artisans and traditional medicine men; good food and music will also be on tap from November 28 through December 1, 2019. |
16May2019 | Take a Tourism Break in Riviera Nayarit with Human Connections![]() Yucatan Times ![]() Our guides on this excursion were from Human Connections, a tiny nonprofit begun in 2014 that introduces sojourners to indigenous people doing remarkable things using the skills they learned from their ancestors. |
21Apr2019 | Much-Anticipated RHA Electronic Festival Returns to Nayarit![]() Riviera Nayarit CVB ![]() DJs from around the world are bringing their best spin to the 2019 RHA Festival on April 26-27 at Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. |
01Nov2018 | November 2018 Events Not to Miss in Vallarta-Nayarit![]() Riviera Nayarit CVB ![]() The eleventh month welcomes a number of culinary, cultural, sports, and recreational activities in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit. |
23Sep2017 | Tensions Rise Between Huicholes, Rancheros Over Rights to Ancestral Lands![]() Mexico News Daily ![]() Tensions are rising in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains of Huajimic, Nayarit, where indigenous Huichol people are locked in a bitter dispute with cattle ranchers over who owns 10,000 hectares of alleged ancestral lands. |
27Aug2017 | New Art Gallery Tour of Puerto Vallarta Included Complimentary at Casa Velas![]() PR Web ![]() A complimentary art gallery tour of downtown Puerto Vallarta will be offered starting in October to guests staying at the adults-only boutique hotel Casa Velas. |
24Aug2017 | 2017 Dolphin Conference 'For A Culture Of Science' in Riviera Nayarit![]() CVB of Riviera Nayarit ![]() Mexico’s Pacific Treasure welcomed over three thousand participants to the XXI Dolphin Conference 2017 including students, technical advisors, special guests, and countries from the European Union, Colombia and Costa Rica. |
05Aug2017 | DIF Prepares Activities in Puerto Vallarta for Indigenous People's Day![]() Vallarta Opina ![]() In order to promote the culture, rights and cosmovision of indigenous peoples, the DIF System chaired by Candelaria Tovar de Dávalos is organizing a series of activities from August 5 to 11. |
26Jun2017 | Indigenous People of Nayarit Demand Respect for Ancestral Territories![]() Prensa Latina ![]() Representatives of the indigenous people filed a lawsuit against federal institutions for granting permits to build the dam Las Cruces, which would affect their site of ceremonies and livelihood known as Keiyatsita. |
22May2017 | First RHA Festival to Debut in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle![]() OVC Riviera Nayarit ![]() Green Velvet and Claptone headline the list of the more than 15 DJs from around the world who will spin their house music at the Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. |
20Dec2016 | Hammocks Made by Indigenous Women Now Available in Puerto Vallarta![]() PVAngels ![]() We will continue the tradition of carrying only the finest of handwoven Mayan hammocks, in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and color combinations, as well as all hammock accessories! |
21Nov2016 | Events Not to Miss This Week in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit![]() PVAngels ![]() A lot is going on around Banderas Bay this week including Live Shows and Concerts, Ceviche & Aguachile Market, Fundraisers, Art Walks, Wixarika Village Nayarit Expo, Motomania San Blas, White Party, Farmers Markets every day of the week, and so much more. |
17Nov2016 | 1st Commercial and Cultural Wixarika Village Nayarit Expo in Sayulita![]() CVB of Riviera Nayarit ![]() There will be 48 groups of artisans from Nayarit for a total of 180 persons, mainly Huicholes and Coras, but also some Mexicaneros. |
23Sep2016 | Jalisco's Indigenous Huichol Community Gears Up to Reclaim Ancestral Land![]() IC Magazine ![]() With court ruling in a century-old conflict on their side, at least 1,000 Indigenous Wixarika people, also known as Huicholes, are determined to reclaim a swath of their ancestral land from ranchers in the western state of Nayarit in a mass action that some fear could spark violence. |
31Aug2016 | Visit Altavista Petroglyphs Archeological Site in Riviera Nayarit![]() Richard Lawhorn ![]() More than two thousand years ago an Aztecan tribe, the Tecoxquines, chipped images into the volcanic rock along the arroyo (seasonal stream) Las Piletas. |
09Aug2016 | Indigenous Workers Picking Tobacco Under an Unforgiving Sun in Nayarit![]() New York Times ![]() They had no potable water or toilets, he said. And when they got paid - about $35 a week for a family — they spent it on food, water and even fuel for the lamps that allowed them to work through the night. |
21Jul2016 | Lila Downs Visits Puerto Vallarta to Film Promotional Documentary for Discovery Channel![]() Tribuna de la Bahia ![]() Lila Downs, who earlier this month participated as an artist in the Montreal Jazz Festival, is featured in this 46 minute documentary which will be entirely devoted to different aspects of Puerto Vallarta tourism. |
12Jun2016 | Nayarit: One of Mexico's Smallest States Makes up for Size with a Huge Personality![]() Coin Update ![]() Despite the tensions of the past, indigenous and immigrant communities in Nayarit blend together quite well today, with beautiful native arts and crafts for sale to any who possess an eye for talent. |
26May2016 | Sacred Deer Restored to the Huichol in Jalisco, Mexico![]() Indian Country Today Media Network ![]() It does offer some hope that the Indigenous Peoples - Huichol and Tepehuano - are supported by citizens of both settler states, the U.S. and Mexico, in a united effort to reverse the decline of the sacred deer. |
04Apr2016 | Puerto Vallarta Is No Longer Your Grandmother's Vacation Spot?![]() New York Daily News ![]() Cutting-edge is not Puerto Vallarta's brand. Visitors crave what they know here, which accounts for an astonishing 98% repeat visitor rate. No one seems eager to mess with the formula. |
25Aug2015 | Beading Destination Workshop in Puerto Vallarta![]() Jan Huling ![]() Here’s some excitement for you! My fellow Beadist, Nancy Josephson and I are planning to give a joint 5 day workshop this coming April in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. |
11Aug2015 | Aline Moreno Chats About Her Latest Fashion Collection 'Wixarikas'![]() CVB of Riviera Nayarit ![]() Please welcome the creator of a unique Fashion collection, one that mixes the latest international tendencies with the ancient cultural values of the Riviera Nayarit. |
09Nov2014 | Friday Southside Shuffle Returns for 2014-2015 Season in Old Town Vallarta![]() PVAngels ![]() Take a stroll down Basilio Badillo every other Friday evening beginning on November 14, 2014 for art, jewelry, fashion, collectibles, restaurants, food, drinks, live music and fun. |
05Nov2014 | Discovery Channel to Broadcast Travel and Tourism Program About Riviera Nayarit![]() CVB of Riviera Nayarit ![]() On November 6th at 7:30 am (Central Mexico time) a program showcasing the charms of the Riviera Nayarit will be broadcast to over 100 million homes around the world. |
25Oct2014 | Wednesday Evening Downtown Vallarta Art Walk Resumes on October 29![]() PVAngels ![]() The participating galleries in Centro Historico offer works by important national and international artists. Remarkable paintings, exceptional sculptures, fine ceramics, blown glass and other types of noteworthy art are offered. |
22Oct2014 | Mexico's Nayarit Offers a Different World of Beauty, Adventure and Culture![]() Vancouver Sun ![]() Stroll the paths into yesteryear and slow down - what would it be like to live here, we wondered. In fact, we learned that some locals have never left - afraid to experience cars, noise and big city life. |
10Aug2014 | Puerto Vallarta's Cultural Side![]() Visit Puerto Vallarta ![]() If you find yourself vacationing here you’ll soon see that part of the beauty of the area is being able to explore the local culture and observe how it is interlaced with the wonders of the natural surroundings. |
10Jun2014 | Activist Views on Las Cruces Hydroelectric Project in Nayarit![]() Upside Down World ![]() The Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve, the most extensive mangrove forest system along Mexico’s Pacific coast, is the year-round habitat for 20,000 water birds and is a winter home to more than 100,000 migratory birds. |
09Jun2014 | PEACEAnimals News and 'Who are the Huichols?'![]() PEACEAnimals ![]() Known to themselves as the Wixarica people and 'the healers,' they were named Huichols by the Spaniards in the 16th century. With a long tradition of rejecting Catholicism, many of the Huichols have maintained their Shamanistic customs. |
10Dec2013 | Puerto Vallarta Public Library Supported by Malecon Sculpture Tours![]() Galeria Pacifico ![]() Every Tuesday morning at 9:30 am, no reservations are necessary and one must only show up at the Millennium sculpture next to the Hotel Rosita at the north end of the Malecon. The tour is free and any donations support the Library. |
25Nov2013 | Women's Circle Retreat 2014 in Yelapa Mexico with Linda Wolf![]() Womens Circle ![]() Join us for the Women's Circle Retreat from April 25 until May 3, 2014, in Yelapa with Linda Wolf, founder of Women's Circles Network and Daughters Sisters Project and Kellie Shannon Elliott, 5Rhythms certified teacher. |
19Nov2013 | Singer Miguel Bose Leaves His Heart with Indigenous Children of Nayarit![]() Agencia Reforma ![]() The colorful costumes, the smiles of the children and musical notes captivated Bose, who came to tears when he heard his single 'Te Amare' in the voices of children of the Alica Foundation. |
10Aug2013 | International Day of Indigenous Peoples Recognizes Huichol Artisans![]() AZ Noticias ![]() To mark the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, AZ News interviewed members of ethnic Huicholes of the Nayarit region who shared their impressions of the commemoration of this day and the benefits of being indigenous. |
29Jun2013 | Indigenous Movement of Nayarit Promised Added Security in Preserving Their Heritage![]() NotiVallarta ![]() Attorney Edgar Veytia said Indians "are our identity, our pride and passion to preserve our home," so has underlined their commitment to ensure the safety and security of indigenous communities. |
23Jun2013 | Colors of Mexico Put Spice in $20,000 Winning Quilt![]() The Daily Sentinel ![]() Karen Kay Buckley and Renae Haddadin collaborated on "Fiesta Mexico," which won Best of Show and $20,000 at the American Quilter’s Society QuiltWeek. Buckley’s sun block was inspired by the Huichol yarn painting that she purchased in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. |
28May2013 | Mexican Folkloric Dance in the Central Pacific State of Nayarit![]() Mexfoldanco ![]() The Central Pacific state of Nayarit is located a few minutes north of Puerto Vallarta and ascends onto the Western mountain range. The Sierra Madres is also the home of the Huichol indigenous group, famous for their yarn painting, the "eyes of god," and spectacular costuming. |
11May2013 | Tourist Developments Replace Indigenous Sacred Land in Nayarit![]() SDP Noticias ![]() Tatei Haramara, sacred place of the Wixarica or Huichol, was declared protected by the Hauxa Manka Covenant in which the people agreed in 2008 with the Federal Government and the State Governments of Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Durango and Zacatecas to protect their sacred sites. |
29Apr2013 | Brainbuster - How Much Do You Know About Mexico?![]() Daily Record ![]() Cinco de Mayo is coming up soon, and there will be several celebrations surrounding that Mexican event. How much do you know about our neighbors in Mexico and the history of the country? |
12Apr2013 | Nayarit and Tamaulipas States Sign Accord of Inclusive Social Policy![]() Demotix ![]() The Governor of Nayarit said that in the first stage, the National Crusade Against Hunger (Sin Hambre) will serve 15,000 people in the municipality of El Nayar, mostly belonging to the indigenous peoples of Cora and Huichol, with concentrations of greater social deficits. |
04Mar2013 | Finding Local Mexican Traditions in Puerto Vallarta![]() Yahoo! Contributor Network ![]() The stage was a swirling kinetic mass, with women's skirts flying and men's hats twirling, as colorfully garbed couples bent and swooped in rapid-fire synchronized steps. Enthusiastic applause greeted each troupe. |
23Feb2013 | Colectika Gallery Presents Oaxacan Wood Carvers Jacobo & Maria Angeles![]() Colectika ![]() Come to the cocktail reception on February 27 and see two of the most collected artists from Oaxaca demonstrate their traditional wood carving and how they create the natural paints that make their pieces even more sought after by collectors. |
04Feb2013 | Indigenous: A Celebration of Huichol, Mayan & Aztec Cultures![]() Paradise Community Center ![]() It's a one-night only celebration at Paradise Community Center. You'll be treated to an authentic four-course Mexican meal by Chef Abue-Linda, Huichol crafts, Aztec dancers, and the Puerto Vallarta premiere of the Mayan documentary, "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth." |
21Jan2013 | Indigenous People are Grateful to DIF Vallarta![]() AZ Noticias ![]() Among the priority projects of the DIF System Puerto Vallarta, headed by its President Magaly Fregoso Ortiz, is the rescue of values found in the family and the traditions of the Mexican culture through the various indigenous ethnic groups. |
17Jan2013 | 2013 Exhibitions at Colectika Art Gallery![]() Peyote People ![]() At Colectika Ancestral Contemporary Art Gallery in Downtown Puerto Vallarta, we are proud to announce our 2013 season's line-up of talent with special exhibitions on January 30, February 6 and February 27. |
30Dec2012 | Day Trippin': Visit a Remote Huichol Indian Village in Riviera Nayarit![]() RivieraNayaritFun.com ![]() The Huichol Indian Encounter will take you off the beaten path to visit the indian village up in the Sierra Madre mountains and the tribe that avoided capture during the Spanish invasion and have maintained most of their native beliefs and practices. |
16Dec2012 | Puerto Vallarta: Where Beachy Chic Meets Colonial Charm![]() Prevue Online ![]() Had it not been for the torrid affair of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton during director John Huston's The Night of the Iguana filming, the sleepy fishing village of Puerto Vallarta could have remained low profile – but for just a bit longer. |
06Nov2012 | Riviera Nayarit, an Opportunity to get up Close to Ancient Cultures![]() CVB of Riviera Nayarit ![]() At "The Place of the Sun" (the Spanish translation of Tawexikta), the cooperative has built a complex of four traditional cottages with a dining room, a craft market and a ceremonial center where the marakame has a special space for cleansing and rituals. |
04Nov2012 | Puerto Vallarta Free Malecon Sculpture Tours Return![]() Virtual Vallarta ![]() The highly popular free Malecon Sculpture Walking Tour, created and conducted by Galeria Pacifico owner Gary Thompson, will again be offered this season every Tuesday beginning November 13, at 9:30 am. |
09Oct2012 | Wednesday Night Vallarta ArtWalk Returns for the Season![]() VallartaArtWalk.com ![]() The Historic Center Vallarta ArtWalk will begin on Wednesday, October 31, 2012, and continue every Wednesday through April 24, 2013. Take a walk in El Centro, meet the artists, sip some wine and view the works by important national and international artists. |
31Aug2012 | PV Encompasses Mexico's Diverse Attributes![]() SFGate ![]() Puerto Vallarta has a bit of everything I adore about Mexico. And though I've visited PV, as it's known informally, at least two dozen times, I always find a new favorite thing. |
17Aug2012 | Huichol Girl Threads Tobacco Strings in the Fields of Nayarit![]() Media Voices for Children ![]() Indigenous Huicholes families migrate from tiny mountain villages every year to work in the tobacco fields of Nayarit, Mexico. They live out in the open, eking out no more than a subsistence living. |
12Aug2012 | Huicholes in Vallarta: Beyond Art![]() VisitPuertoVallarta.com ![]() The Huichol culture is an important element of the charm of Puerto Vallarta due to their impressive art work, but, have you ever wondered who they are? |
24Mar2012 | VW Huichol Art on Wheels![]() artdaily.org ![]() For the Huichol, creating art in the form of beadwork, textiles, stone sculptures, ceremonial objects and pipes is not merely decorative. It is an expression of faith, evoking centuries-old shamanism and peyote rituals that are still practiced to this day. |
17Mar2012 | Huichol Festival at Plaza Caracol![]() VisitPuertoVallarta.com ![]() You are invited to open an extraordinary window to experience the Wixarika universe through their art, music, exhibitions and ancestral ceremonies from March 17 to March 31 at Plaza Caracol. Admission is free. |
13Nov2017 | Report Finds Mexico’s Mega-Projects Favor International Clients Over Indigenous Rights![]() teleSUR ![]() Mexico’s rural development shows authorities bulldozing the health and environmental concerns of Indigenous communities in favor of its international clients, a new study found. |
02Nov2017 | ’Nido de Lenguas’ Documentary Captures the Dying Yumano Culture’s Legacy![]() KCET.org ![]() The Kiliwas, Pai Pai and Cucapa are three Yumano tribes who still live in Baja California, although their languages are nearing extinction and their tribal numbers are in decline. |
14Oct2017 | Indigenous People Invented - and Are Now Redefining - the So-Called ‘American Dream’![]() The Conversation ![]() The next time a politician invokes American values to promote a policy of closed borders or selfish individualism, remember who originally espoused the American Dream – and first sought to live it, too. |
10Oct2017 | Renowned Indigenous Leaders Call for End to ’Genocide’ of Uncontacted Tribes![]() Survival International ![]() Three of Brazil’s most prominent Indian leaders have denounced their government’s concerted attack on indigenous rights as “genocidal.” |
09Oct2017 | Jalisco Indigenous Woman Registers to Run for Mexican Presidency in 2018![]() teleSUR ![]() Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez, the independent candidate for Mexican Indigenous communities in the 2018 presidential elections, has registered with the electoral authorities, despite numerous bureaucratic hurdles. |
08Oct2017 | Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Why Mexicans Have Always Been Exploited in the United States![]() Truthout ![]() As many US states and municipalities have begun to eschew the colonial tradition of "Columbus Day" in favor of adopting Monday’s holiday as "Indigenous Peoples’ Day," one might wonder where people of Mexican heritage fit in. |
03Oct2017 | Ik ’ta K’op Collective Supports the Sovereignty of the Indigenous People in Chiapas State![]() GlobalVoices ![]() This is a project which aims to help the indigenous peoples in remote parts of Chiapas have access to and use information technologies to support their communication and participation needs. |
27Sep2017 | Indigenous People Get More Respect from Foreigners Than from Mexicans![]() The Fulano Forum ![]() Indigenous communities are more respected by foreigners than by Mexicans, bemoaned the President of a Mixteco group from Oaxaca, Lourdes Ramirez Martinez. |
24Sep2017 | Indigenous Peoples Face Severe Inequality in Disaster Relief Efforts![]() Intercontinental Cry ![]() Indigenous Peoples’ increased vulnerability to climate change or politically-related disasters has been moderately well documented at this point. The next step is going to be more fully examining and addressing the underlying politics and disparities in disaster relief efforts. |
19Sep2017 | Chihuahua Studio Draws on Indigenous Mythology for Action-Adventure Game Mulaka![]() mxdwn.com ![]() Dive into northern Mexico’s breathtaking landscapes with Mulaka, a 3D action-adventure game based on the rich indigenous culture of the Tarahumara. |
11Sep2017 | Indigenous Women in Mexico Have Limited Access to Health Services![]() The Fulano Forum ![]() Affiliation with health services does not assure an effective access for indigenous women. For this reason, that sector of the population has twice to risk of dying from preventable illnesses than the rest of the women in Mexico. |
05Sep2017 | Rural Indigenous Women Are the Most Discriminated Against in Mexico![]() The Fulano Forum ![]() Indigenous women who live in rural environments are the population group most discriminated against in Mexico, as 85 out of 100 of these women live in poverty. |
28Aug2017 | Organization Demands Rural Mexican Peasant Women Receive Recognition![]() Prensa Latina ![]() Mexican organization National Network for Rural Promoters and Advisors is demanding the Mexican government to recognize the contribution of Mexican peasant and indigenous women as food producers and environmental promoters. |
18Aug2017 | Teacher Helps Mexican Indigenous Women Get Online![]() Gears of Biz ![]() Miroslava Silva is a teacher, social scientist and activist who has dedicated much of her career to studying the digital literacy gap and its ramifications. |
16Aug2017 | Women Kicked Out Organized Crime in an Indigenous Town in the State of Michoacan![]() Bloomberg ![]() After years of resisting illegal logging and organized crime, indigenous people in the town of Cheran Mexico demanded justice for their assassinated community members and respect for their autonomous government. |
04Aug2017 | A Plea for Unity Ahead of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples![]() Inter Press Service ![]() On the Tenth Anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the IPS Inter Press Service and its partners call for the voices of the Indigenous Peoples to be heard and their rights respected. |
20Jul2017 | Indigenous Runners Win 2017 Canyon Ultramarathon![]() Agence France-Presse ![]() This year’s Canyons Ultramarathon brought together more than 1,000 competitors from around the world — Russia, Canada, the United States, Ecuador and Spain — to take on the steep slopes of the Sinforosa range of the Tarahumara mountains in the Sierra Madre Occidental. |
17Jul2017 | Notimia Gives Voice to the Indigenous and Afro-Descendant People in Mexico![]() Global Voices ![]() In addition to the constant struggle for their rights and their struggle against social adversity, both populations now have something positive in common: Notimia, a news agency created by indigenous and Afro-descendant photographers, videographers, filmmakers and journalists. |
11Jul2017 | Gathering Takes Aim at High HIV Rates Among World’s Indigenous Population![]() CBC Health ![]() When people have control over their own health policy, they become healthier, and Indigenous peoples, almost without exception, don’t have control over the laws that govern how their communities operate. |
10Jul2017 | The Indigenous Presidential Candidate’s Vision to Transform Mexico from Below![]() Common Dreams ![]() Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez is the first indigenous woman running for the presidency of the country. This is a completely new step for Indigenous rights. |
07Jul2017 | Greenpeace: Violence Against Indigenous Peoples Destroys Our Common Home![]() Greenpeace ![]() Approximately 400 million Indigenous peoples, with 5,000 distinct cultures, represent most of the world’s cultural diversity. Their land is threatened by mining and logging companies, ranchers and farmers, oil exploration, and now by the drug cartels too. |
04Jul2017 | Game Changer Cecilio Solis Helps Mexico’s Indigenous Both Keep and Work on Their Land![]() China Central Television ![]() Cecilio Solis spent his childhood living in the mountains in the central part of the country before moving to Mexico City. Now, he’s trying to bring job opportunities back to indigenous groups, so they can remain on their lands, with their families, while making a living. |
22Jun2017 | 68 Voces: Women Lead Initiatives to Rescue and Promote Mexico’s Native Tongues![]() PRI’s The World ![]() According to a 2015 National Institute of Geography and Statistics survey, 25.6 percent of about 120 million Mexicans self-describe themselves as indigenous. Of these, about 7 million are speakers of a native language and women represent 51.3 percent of this population. |
20Jun2017 | Indigenous Candidate Offers Voice, Unity to Mexico’s Long-Silenced Native People![]() PRI's The World ![]() Despite the frequent use as of their images as cultural symbols, the voices of Mexico’s estimated 25.6 million indigenous people are largely absent from their nation’s mainstream political life. |
13Jun2017 | Cultural Appropriation: Make It Illegal Worldwide, Indigenous Advocates Say![]() CBC News ![]() Indigenous advocates from around the world are calling on a UN committee to make appropriating Indigenous cultures illegal - and to do it quickly. |
06Jun2017 | Leader Assassinations ’a Wound to the Heart of the Huichol Community in Jalisco’![]() Intercontinental Cry ![]() It was painful to learn that Miguel Vazquez Torres and his brother, Agustin, a young attorney also active in the land restitution project have become victims of the violence that they had worked so hard to avoid. They were both gunned down last month. |
05Jun2017 | Meet the First Indigenous Woman Running as a Mexican Presidential Candidate![]() Carbonated.TV ![]() Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez, the first indigenous woman ever to run for office, wants to become Mexico’s first female president in next year’s election. |
23May2017 | Indigenous Huicholes Community Leader Slain with Brother in Jalisco![]() teleSUR ![]() An Indigenous community leader in Mexico has been assassinated alongside his brother, as the country’s human rights situation continues to spark national and international alarm. |
17May2017 | Traditional Lands of Northern Mexico’s Tarahumara People Under Attack![]() Television del Sur ![]() The greed of the West is bringing tourism, unsustainable ’development’, and mining to the Tarahumara people’s land in Northern Mexico. The changes are not only destroying the earth but also these Indigenous people’s way of life. |
25Apr2017 | Census Highlights 'Extreme Poverty' Among Southern Mexico's Indigenous Population![]() Humanosphere ![]() A new census in Mexico’s southern state of Veracruz has for the first time measured economic status differences among ethnic groups, revealing staggeringly high rates of poverty within its indigenous community. |
14Apr2017 | Organizations Denounce Law That Will Amount to Biopiracy for Native Mexican Communities![]() teleSUR ![]() Activists and scholars in Mexico have denounced that the proposal of the Biodiversity Law that violates the biocultural heritage in the territories of Indigenous people. |
10Apr2017 | Indigenous Opposed to New Discriminatory Communications Law in Mexico![]() teleSUR ![]() Indigenous and community radio organizations warned about the possible approval last week of a Communications Law that they say amounts to discrimination. |
08Mar2017 | Working with Indigenous Artisan Women in Mexico![]() C&A Foundation ![]() For over 10 years, Red Niu Matat Napawika has supported around 3,000 indigenous artisan women from 12 Mexican states, teaching them business skills such as accounting, administration and quality control. |
04Mar2017 | Indigenous Mexicans Slam Intropia's Misappropriation of Native Designs![]() teleSUR ![]() Representatives of Mexico's Indigenous Chinanteco community in Oaxaca have publicly denounced Spanish fashion company Intropia for misappropriating its native designs. |
01Mar2017 | Kernaia's New 'DuoLingo' App Teaches Indigenous Mexican Languages![]() teleSUR ![]() Preserve Indigenous histories by passing on languages that Spanish colonizers in Mexico attempted to annihilate? There’s an app for that. |
24Feb2017 | Wrongfully Jailed Indigenous Women Speak Out on Police Abuses in Mexico![]() NPR Morning Edition ![]() In Mexico this week, a rare public event took place. Federal officials apologized to three indigenous women and declared them innocent of crimes for which they served more than three years in jail. |
22Feb2017 | Attorney General Publicly Apologizes to Indigenous Women Wrongly Jailed![]() WION ![]() In a rare gesture, Mexico's government has apologized to three indigenous women, who spent three years in jail, for falsely prosecuting them on charges of kidnapping seven police officers and carrying cocaine. |
01Feb2017 | These Beautiful Animations Celebrate the Indigenous Languages of Mexico![]() Konbini ![]() From ancient myths about the creation of the elements to poems about life and death to popular fables about the different regions, the breadth of cultural wealth that this project spans is extraordinary. |
30Jan2017 | EZLN Could Bring Indigenous Anticapitalist Platform Into Mexico's Mainstream Politics![]() Jacobin ![]() Unless the Mexican left is rooted in working-class communities, unless it speaks a language that resonates with working-class values or priorities, then it has no political future. The Zapatista movement’s electoral turn presents an opportunity to do just that. |
27Jan2017 | 'Serious Retreats' in Indigenous Rights Protection, Says UN Rapporteur![]() Inter Press Service ![]() As the 10-year anniversary for the Declaration on Indigenous Rights approaches, UN indigenous rights activists came together to assess the many challenges that still remain on the ground. |
11Jan2017 | Zapatistas and Indigenous Mexicans Create Parallel Government for Indigenous Autonomy![]() Upside Down World ![]() A coalition of indigenous Mexican communities has announced the creation its own, parallel government with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Dubbed the Indigenous Governing Council, the parallel government will aim to promote autonomy for indigenous Mexicans. |
03Jan2017 | Help Shine a Light on Hundreds of Indigenous Struggles This Year![]() Intercontinental Cry ![]() Intercontinental Cry is made possible through the generous support of people like you. Please make your tax-deductible contribution now and help shine a light on hundreds of indigenous struggles in the new year! |
30Dec2016 | Ten Inspiring Shorts from 2016 Celebrate Indigenous Culture Through Animated Film![]() Intercontinental Cry ![]() This year was particularly exciting for indigenous film. Among the hundreds of feature films, documentaries and television shows that indigenous filmmakers made in 2016, indigenous nations started releasing their own independently-produced films to tell their own stories in their own words and languages. |
29Dec2016 | Traditional Healers Tackle a Building Diabetes Crisis in Indigenous Communities![]() Al Jazeera ![]() There is been an increase in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes in Bolivia. Most sufferers come from indigenous communities who have less access and trust in modern medicines. So authorities are working with ancient healers to help tackle the crisis. |
21Dec2016 | Nayarit Ranchers and Indigenous Huichols Urge Government to Solve Land Conflict![]() Thomson Reuters Foundation ![]() At issue are vast stretches of property that ranchers want for intensive agriculture and grazing, but the Huichols want it for subsistence farming and to practice their traditional ways of life. |
18Dec2016 | End the Struggle, Take the Offensive: Indigenous Coalitions Against Kleptocracies![]() Intercontinental Cry ![]() I don’t know what will persuade indigenous nations and their leaders to form coalitions among themselves and create aggressive and enforceable laws preventing damaging state/corporate development projects, confiscation of land, resources, air and water and the health of indigenous people. It isn’t for lack of information. |
15Dec2016 | Controversial Pipeline Continues Push Through Indigenous Land Despite Moratorium![]() GlobalVoices ![]() A new pipeline under construction in northern Mexico has become a major controversy involving the local Yaqui indigenous community that is less than pleased about the pipeline's route. The Agua Prieta pipeline would go straight through Yaqui territory. |
14Dec2016 | Divisions in Mexico's Indigenous Rights Movement in Wake of Nestora Salgado's Release![]() Freedom Socialist ![]() Winning the release of imprisoned community police leader Nestora Salgado, jailed for two-and-a-half years in Mexico on trumped-up charges was a thrilling victory for international working class solidarity. Sadly the movement that won Salgado’s freedom is today fractured. |
13Dec2016 | President Pena Nieto Asks for Unity in Defense of Human Rights![]() Prensa Latina ![]() Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has reasserted that the commitment of the Mexican federal government is up with the respect and protection of the human rights, but he recognized that there are pendent aspects to be solved in that matter. |
10Dec2016 | In a Life Without Politicians, a Michoacan Indigenous Community Finds Its Own Way ![]() Truthout ![]() At a time when people in diverse areas of the world, including the United States, are very frustrated with politicians, the citizens of Cheran, Michoacan are trying to find their own way apart from traditional institutions. |
18Nov2016 | Free Video Toolkit 'Territories of Life' for Indigenous Peoples About Land and Rights![]() Intercontinental Cry ![]() Territories of Life is a video toolkit with a purpose. Its aim: to bring stories of resistance, resilience and hope to indigenous communities on the frontline of the global rush for land. |
15Nov2016 | Supreme Court to Discuss Status of Religious Sect That Uses Peyote in Rituals![]() Mexico News Daily ![]() Some 5,000 members of the Native American Church of Mexico, sometimes called Peyotism, have been fighting to get official recognition from the Mexican government for over three years. |
14Nov2016 | Los Nuestros Yaquis: The Story of a People's War and a Genocide in Mexico![]() C Magazine ![]() In this 60-minute film, the Mexican writer, novelist and political activist Paco Taibo II travels to the territory of the Yaqui Peoples to remember the longest-running armed struggle in Mexico's history. |
10Nov2016 | United Nation Supports Indigenous Land Rights in Mexico's Mining Plans![]() The Costa Rica Star ![]() The United Nation Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Victoria Tauli, recommended the Mexican government regulate and supervise the activities of mining companies that affect unprotected communities. |
31Oct2016 | Residents in Rural Mexico Fight for Say in Mining Projects Near Their Land![]() Global Press Journal ![]() In many instances, people who live in the vicinity of mining projects are the last to learn about them, and they are rarely informed about the procedures used to extract metals and how this could affect their health, their activities and their properties. |
31Oct2016 | Mexico's Indigenous Candidate to Address Latin American Inequality, Exploitation![]() The Ithacan ![]() Whoever the Zapatista Army of National Liberation decides to nominate has a long road ahead of her, and a heavy history behind her. |
27Oct2016 | As Mexico Lauds Telecom Reform, Rural Poor Search for a Connection![]() ETTelecom ![]() Life is made harder in isolated towns throughout Mexico's rugged interior by a lack of connectivity that complicates everything from education to getting help in medical emergencies. |
23Oct2016 | An Indigenous Woman Could be a Presidential Candidate Two Years from Now![]() Global Voices ![]() In a little less than two years from now when Mexicans go to vote for their next president, it's possible they'll see the name of an indigenous woman on the ballot. |
17Oct2016 | World's First Week-Long Indigenous Poetry Festival Launches in Mexico![]() teleSUR ![]() The world’s first Indigenous poetry festival launched in Mexico Monday, bringing together 80 poets from five continents and 30 languages to celebrate Indigenous knowledge and love for the Mother Earth. |
13Oct2016 | Zapatistas Renew Demands for Indigenous Unity in Fight Against Capitalist Slavery![]() teleSURtv.net ![]() The Zapatistas argued at the 20th anniversary National Indigenous Congress that resource exploitation will ultimately destroy the people. |
04Oct2016 | Mexico Is No Longer Turning a Blind Eye to Local Customs Barring Indigenous Women from Voting![]() Quartz ![]() Mexico’s constitution has enshrined indigenous communities’ right to govern themselves according to their own “uses and customs.” But in acknowledging one set of minorities, the government has essentially blocked out another one from political participation. |
01Oct2016 | Activist Runs to Raise Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women![]() AJ+ ![]() Brad Firth is running across Canada to raise awareness of missing and murdered indigenous women. He began the trek four months ago. |
12Sep2016 | Indigenous Rappers Are Using Hip-Hop to Preserve Their Language![]() The Huffington Post ![]() They say music is the universal language of mankind, but Brayan and Dario Tascon are hoping music will help preserve their own language. |
07Sep2016 | Women of Mexico's Indigenous Yaqui Community Speak on Growing Water Crisis![]() Jittoa Productions ![]() The Yaqui peoples have been defending their territory against Spaniards and Mexican invaders for over 500 years. Their home on the Yaqui river has been invaded. |
02Sep2016 | Give Indigenous People Land Rights or Fail on Deforestation Pledges, Governors Told![]() Thomson Reuters Foundation ![]() Countries will be unable to meet their climate change pledges unless they secure land rights for people living in the world's tropical forests, indigenous leaders told an international conference of regional governors meeting in Mexico. |
20Aug2016 | Skateboard Company Brings Water to the Huicholes![]() China Central Television ![]() In Mexico, four young entrepreneurs have created the “Nahual Skateboard” company. The company said some of the sale proceeds will help a particular community which is facing water shortages on their ancestral lands. |
16Aug2016 | Only Indigenous Prison in Mexico Is Free from Drugs, Rape, and Corruption![]() VICE News ![]() Walking into the Guachochi jail - which is located in the mountains of the northern state of Chihuahua - turns upside down most preconceived notions of Mexican prisons. |
15Aug2016 | Mobile Phone Co-Ops Are Transforming Mexico's Rural Indigenous Communities![]() The Guardian ![]() In marginalized indigenous communities, where almost every family has members who have migrated for work, low-cost phone calls are seen as an essential service. |
11Aug2016 | The Oaxaca 'People's Festival' Celebrates Indigenous Culture That's Not for Sale![]() GlobalPost ![]() Participants see this free alternative festival as more in touch with Oaxaca's actual indigenous cultures than the $50-a-head famous one is. |
11Aug2016 | Contemporary Thinkers Gather to Consider Mexico's Current Indigenous Reality![]() La Jornada ![]() Is there indigenous thought in Mexico? If so, what are its characteristics? What does it mean to think about reality from the viewpoint of indigenous peoples? How is this thinking developing? |
09Aug2016 | UN Indigenous Peoples' Day: Uncontacted Amazon Tribe Faces Annihilation![]() Survival International ![]() On UN Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Survival International is calling for the full demarcation and protection of the land of the Kawahiva people, an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon that is at extremely high risk of extinction. |
08Aug2016 | Right to Education Still Elusive for Indigenous People in Latin America![]() Inter Press Service ![]() Despite their large presence and strong influence in the region, the native peoples of Latin America still represent one of the most disadvantaged population groups. |
04Aug2016 | Mushroom Ceremony of the Mazatec Indians of Mexico![]() Chocolate Grinder ![]() María Sabina was a Mexican-Mazatec shaman and healer who lived her entire life in a modest dwelling in the Sierra Mazateca of Southern Mexico. Her practice was based on the use of the various species of native psilocybe mushrooms and she performed long, trance-induced incantations. |
25Jul2016 | Survey Reveals Mexico's Indigenous People Viewed as Victims of Prejudice, Poverty![]() Xinhua ![]() To be indigenous in Mexico is to suffer from discrimination, marginalization and poverty, according to a study released over the weekend by the National Autonomous University of Mexico. |
11Jul2016 | Saving a Near-Extinct Indigenous Language in Mexico![]() The Straits Times ![]() As of 2011, there were only two people left in the Mexican village of Ayapa who could speak the ancient Mayan language Ayapaneco fluently. To make matters worse, these last two speakers had quarreled and were not talking to each other. |
10Jul2016 | The Tarahumara Struggle to Save Their Lands in Mexico's Famous Copper Canyon![]() Tierra Nativa Network ![]() The Tarahumara community of Mogotavo struggles against forced relocation by tourism developers in the Copper Canyon region near the famed Divisadero trainstop and overlook. |
07Jul2016 | Respect Indigenous Cultures, Traditions, Pope Asks![]() CNA/EWTN News ![]() Pope Francis has dedicated the month of July to praying for the world’s indigenous peoples, asking specifically in his new prayer video that their identity and cultural traditions be respected. |
22Jun2016 | National Indigenous Congress and Zapatista Communique on Oaxaca Teacher Protests![]() Enlace Zapatista ![]() Joint Communique from the National Indigenous Congress and the EZLN on the cowardly police attack against the National Coordinating Committee of Education Workers and the indigenous community of Nochixtlan, Oaxaca. |
13Jun2016 | Indigenous People Create Their Own Community Police Forces in Guerrero![]() teleSUR ![]() In response to a rise in crime over a territorial dispute between rival organized crime groups, Indigenous people from the community of San Jeronimo de Palantla have created a community police force. |
06Jun2016 | Saving Traditional Oaxacan Pottery from Extinction![]() wochit News ![]() In Oaxaca, Mexico, cultural traditions are still very strong. Innovating Tradition is a non-profit company that works to share traditional Oaxacan ceramics around the world. |
01Jun2016 | Cartels Are Displacing an Indigenous Group That's Lived in Chihuahua for Centuries![]() Dromomanos, CIDE, and VICE ![]() This is the first story in a three-part series on the impact Mexico's drug wars are having on indigenous people. |
25May2016 | Campaign Encourages Latin American Indigenous Communities to Create Their Own Media![]() Global Voices ![]() An educational campaign called “Komunikatuz Eraldatu, Peoples Owning Their Communication” is counteracting the distorted image of indigenous peoples and communities that mainstream media regularly portray. |
16May2016 | Suffering in Silence: Self-Harm and Suicide Among Young Indigenous People![]() Europa Newswire ![]() Indigenous People suffer from disproportionately high suicide rates and rates of self-harm among young people. |
25Apr2016 | Series of Animated Stories Revitalise Indigenous Languages in Mexico![]() Global Voices ![]() “You can't love what you don't know” is the premise of '68 Tongues, 68 Hearts,' an animated project aimed at preserving and sharing the indigenous languages of Mexico. |
20Apr2016 | The Government's Favorite Contractor Displaces Indigenous Peoples to Build a Highway![]() Sin Embargo ![]() In a single morning, the Garcia family saw the destruction of everything they'd spent their whole lives working for. |
15Apr2016 | Mexican Indigenous Protests Shine a Spotlight on the Damage Done by Canadian Mines![]() VICE News ![]() Indigenous groups and small farmers from six Mexican states have been marching in the capital this week with a long list of demands. |
12Apr2016 | Thousands of Mexican Indigenous Activists Protest Unfair Land Concessions![]() Ruptly TV ![]() Thousands of members of several indigenous tribes who inhabit various regions of Mexico marched demanding freedom for political prisoners and a greater role in decision-making on issues concerning the communities they live in. |
23Mar2016 | Dam Construction Has Forced 200,000 People from Their Homes in Mexico![]() Television del Sur ![]() Some 200,000 people have been displaced by the construction of dams across Mexico, while advocacy groups warn the country’s new water law will only continue to make the situation worse, Mexico’s Sin Embargo reported. |
17Mar2016 | Congress Gives Its Oaxacan Indigenous Community Cultural Heritage Status![]() Latin Times ![]() Currently UNESCO doesn’t only protect monuments or buildings, but it considers anything from dialects or festive events to craftsmanship techniques or traditions, as things to be kept as heritage. |
16Mar2016 | Filmmaker Tells Story of Mexico's Indigenous Women Achieving Real Change![]() Bustle ![]() When she was just 11, Liliana Caracoza moved from Mexico to the United States, where she says she was a victim of abuse in her home. But she was able to reclaim her past trauma, and utilized it as inspiration to combat domestic violence on a global scale. |
04Mar2016 | Many Innocent Among the Thousands of Indigenous People Incarcerated in Mexico![]() Prensa Latina ![]() At least 9,000 indigenous people are in prison in Mexico, and most of them have not started a penal process yet, sometimes because of the lack of an interpreter or a lawyer. |
22Feb2016 | Trans-Pacific Partnership Threatens Indigenous Land Rights Says UN Rapporteur![]() teleSUR English ![]() The TPP trade agreement signed earlier in February will have a devastating effect on indigenous people, the last guardians of our natural world. |
18Feb2016 | Indigenous Groups Continue to be Excluded from Development Across Latin America![]() Latin Correspondent ![]() Indigenous communities are now facing new and challenging realities: for example, almost half of the natives of the region live in cities, which poses new challenges on how to preserve their culture and respect their identity. |
16Feb2016 | Pope Francis Embraces Mexico's Most Marginalized People in Chiapas Stop![]() Euronews ![]() Pope Francis has embraced Mexico’s poor indigenous south, denouncing what he described as the people’s “systemic” exclusion from society. |
09Feb2016 | Central America's Indigenous Seek Apology from Pope Francis for Genocide![]() Sputnik ![]() The Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacan, Mexico, accused the Catholic Church of being involved in mass genocide, which started with the Spaniards' arrival to the Central American region in the 16th century. |
08Feb2016 | Indigenous Communities in Mexico Exercise Their Autonomy to Defend Their Lands![]() Global Voices ![]() Like Cheran, Michoacan, and the Zapatista Caracoles of Chiapas, the Natho community of Huitzizilapan have exercised their sovereignty and voted to form their own communal assembly. |
29Jan2016 | History Has Shown That Progress Has Not Been Kind to Indigenous People![]() CCTV ![]() Groups in remote regions live in a delicate balance with the environment. The natural world is a valued source of their food, health, spirituality and identity. |
07Dec2015 | Coca-Cola Apologizes to Mexican Indigenous Community After Running Racially Offensive Ad![]() Fusion ![]() Coca-Cola has issued an apology and pulled an online ad that many Mexicans criticized for being patronizing towards the country’s indigenous communities. |
29Nov2015 | For the Indigenous, This New Coca Cola Ad Shows Mexico's White Savior Problem![]() teleSUR English ![]() For the Indigenous of Mexico, white people bringing Coca-Cola is not just a joyful Christmas ad, it is a reality of corporate and cultural domination and destruction. |
28Nov2015 | Leaders Call for Solidarity: 'Mexico Is Also Afro-Descendant, Not Only Indigenous'![]() teleSUR ![]() Afro-Mexican leaders this week have called on fellow Afro-descendants from Latin America to support their struggle for legal recognition of their unique ethnicity. |
02Nov2015 | First Ever World Indigenous Games Wrap Up in Brazil![]() Mic ![]() The World Indigenous Games, which brought together 2,000 indigenous people from all over the world, wrapped up Sunday in Brazil. Events included river swimming, log races, archery, spear-throwing and tug of war. |
26Oct2015 | First World Indigenous Games Gets Off to Rocky Start![]() CRIEnglish ![]() The first-ever World Indigenous Games are underway in Brazil. However, the competition among the athletes is already being overshadowed by demonstrations against the embattled government of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. |
10Oct2015 | Conference of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Descendants Wraps Up in Mexico![]() Radio Cadena Agramonte ![]() The ancestral rights of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants were addressed in the Second Session of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, which concluded Friday in Mexico City. |
07Sep2015 | Americas' Indigenous and Campesinos Reject GMOs![]() teleSUR ![]() Indigenous and campesino organizations from 15 countries from the Americas issued a declaration last week firmly rejecting transgenic cultivations and agricultural monopolies, while promoting a “campesino-Indigenous agro-ecology” in order to “respond to the civilizational collapse we are living in.” |
31Aug2015 | Why Indigenous Communities in Mexico Need Community Self-Defence Forces![]() Global Voices ![]() Recent events in Mexico have highlighted the problem of serious human rights violations against indigenous groups. The most recent of these has occurred in Michoacan state, where the local indigenous community claims to have been the victim of an attack by the Mexican military. |
18Aug2015 | The Mysticism of Mexico's Huichol People![]() Television del Sur ![]() Man was created out of the Pacific Ocean, emerging as a little worm. That’s according to the Huichol people, whose annual and ritualistic 385-mile journey to Wirikuta, a sacred site high in the Mexican mountains, was captured by filmmaker Nicolas Echevarria. |
14Aug2015 | Frida Kahlo-Inspired Line Creates Jobs For Mexico's Indigenous Artists![]() GOOD.is ![]() Mexico Culture & Pride manufactures sustainable fashion accessories, while also creating jobs for several indigenous cultures throughout Mexico, with 21st century entrepreneurship models. |
12Aug2015 | Indigenous Languages in Mexico Are Weakening With Every New Generation![]() Xinhua ![]() A harsh truth has emerged in Mexico. Young indigenous people who speak Spanish and cut ties with their roots stand a better chance at getting an education, landing a good job, accessing health services, and escaping poverty. |
10Aug2015 | Huichol Language Instruction Now Available Online![]() EFE ![]() Anyone speaking Spanish or English will be able to learn the Wixarika Indian language, aided by people who speak that tongue, thanks to an online dictionary created in Mexico by a group of experts. |
09Aug2015 | Emma Chegwyn: Equality for Mexico's Indigenous Population Needs Improving![]() Xinhua ![]() According to the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, more than 15 million indigenous peoples are living within Mexican borders. But as they make up only 14.9 percent of the country's total population, their conditions do not always get due attention. |
07Aug2015 | UN Indigenous Day: Most Recently Contacted Indian Speaks Out for First Time![]() Survival International ![]() Ahead of U.N. Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Sunday, Survival International, the global movement for tribal peoples’ rights, has released a unique video of one of the world’s most recently contacted Indians. |
07Aug2015 | Mexico Film 'Cantos del Humo' Shines at Montreal First Peoples Festival Awards![]() Indian Country Today ![]() Mexico won big at the Montreal First Peoples Festival this year, garnering many of the awards announced as the 25th edition of the annual indigenous extravaganza wound down. |
30Jul2015 | Incomprehensible: Indigenous Immigrants Screwed Because of Bad Translations![]() Indian Country Today ![]() Every year several thousand indigenous immigrants find themselves lost in a bewildering and sometimes abusive system that breaks up families, destroys lives and sends people back to their home countries where they often face more violence. |
04Jul2015 | Wings of the Eagle: Health Clinics for Mexico's Indigenous Women & Children![]() Wings of the Eagle ![]() Wings of the Eagle began sponsoring monthly free clinics in 2009. Since then hundreds of indigenous women and children have received desperately needed treatment, and we see the physical and spiritual health of the community slowly improving. |
15Jun2015 | Forests of Mexico's Indigenous Peoples Are at Risk![]() La Jornada ![]() On a global scale, forest ejidos are considered an effective method for facing climate change on a par with taking down poverty, but the governmental over-regulation which exists in Mexico “blocks sustainable development and puts agricultural communities at risk.” |
11Jun2015 | Indigenous Communities in Mexico Demand to be Consulted on Wind Farms![]() Inter Press Service ![]() “It hurts us that our land is affected, and the environmental impacts are not even measured,” said Zapotec Indian Isabel Jimenez, who is taking part in the struggle against the installation of a wind park in southern Mexico. |
22May2015 | Native Americans Use Sweat Lodge Ceremonies to Recover from Heroin Abuse![]() Fronteras Desk ![]() The recovery program combines western practices like the 12 steps with traditional indigenous healing ceremonies. Ken Lewis said the God talk wasn’t working. It was the sweat lodge that gave him the hope he so desperately needed. |
20May2015 | Designs from Indigenous Peoples' Past Make Mexico a Global Fashion Hit![]() The Guardian ![]() When Mexico’s first lady, Angelica Rivera, catapulted into Vanity Fair’s 2013 best dressed list, thanks to local designer Benito Santos’s sophisticated sheath dresses, the country’s homegrown fashion talent stepped into the style spotlight. |
19May2015 | 2 Million Mexican Peasants and Natives in Precarious Jobs, According to Expert![]() Prensa Latina ![]() The recent protests of the day of workers of San Quintin, in Baja California, make visible the conditions of precarious work of approximately 2 million peasants and Mexican natives. |
10May2015 | UNICEF Finds Indigenous Children Face Greatest Educational Inequality in Mexico![]() La Jornada ![]() According to figures from UNICEF, there are over 40 million children and adolescents in Mexico. Of these, more than 4.4 million children are indigenous, a segment that faces the greatest inequalities in exercising their right to education. |
10May2015 | Huichol Community Members to March in Guadalajara for Indigenous Land Rights![]() Mexico News Daily ![]() The Wixaritari people, also known as Huichol, are demanding the return of land that it claims in two states, and will march in Guadalajara July 1 if it doesn’t see movement on the part of state and federal governments. |
09May2015 | A 'Seminar' Organized by the Zapatistas Draws Over a Thousand Participants in Chiapas![]() Dissident Voice ![]() While the front pages and TV news reports in Mexico are full of accounts of ghastly levels of corruption and violence, in every corner of the country there are spaces where “you breathe a different air,” as the saying is here. |
08May2015 | An Indigenous Community in Mexico Finds Its Voice in Homegrown Media ![]() Global Voices ![]() Radio Campfire, one of the main media outlets in Cheran in western Mexico, was born only a few days after the indigenous community took up self-governance and self-defense in 2011 in the face of organized crime looking to exploit the area's resources. |
03May2015 | Rescued Out of Slavery: Indigenous Workers Removed from Agricultural Sites in Mexico![]() Indian Country Today ![]() Last month, Mexican authorities rescued 200 Tarahumara men, women and children from an agricultural work camp in northwestern Mexico where they were held against their will and subjected to inhuman working and living conditions. |
27Apr2015 | Report Reveals Spike in Killings of Environmentalists![]() Al Jazeera ![]() A report released by Global Witness shows a 20 percent increase in the number of killings of land and environmental activists last year, highlighting Honduras as the most dangerous country to campaign in. |
26Apr2015 | Brazil to Host First Indigenous Peoples World Games![]() Daily Times ![]() A year after hosting the soccer World Cup and a year before staging the Summer Olympics, Brazil is set to stage a new international event - the Indigenous Peoples World Games. |
26Apr2015 | Racism in Mexico: Majority Say They Are Treated Differently Because of Appearance![]() The Fulano Forum ![]() Five of every 10 Mexicans have trouble being accepted because they are brown-skinned. More than half of all Mexican women self-identify themselves with a skin coloring lighter than they really are, as do 40% of men. They believe that a brown skin color is not synonymous with beauty. |
14Apr2015 | CDI Finds a Different Kind of Justice for Mexico's Indigenous People![]() El Universal ![]() So far in this administration the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples has helped release 2,773 indigenous people who were unfairly imprisoned. |
13Apr2015 | An Indigenous Community's Long and Remarkable Road to Self-Rule in Mexico ![]() Global Voices ![]() The story of Cheran's resistance goes back centuries to when it held off the Aztec empire, a foreshadowing of the spirit of independence that enabled it to take on organized crime and successfully re-establish political self-governance and self-defense in 2011. |
07Apr2015 | Exploring Songs in Native Languages from Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia![]() NPR.org ![]() When you think of Latin American music, you may think of songs in Spanish or Portuguese. Jasmine Garsd of NPR's Alt.Latino brings music sung in indigenous languages. |
04Apr2015 | Bishop Vera Lopez: Natural Resources are Being Snatched from Indigenous Mexicans![]() Al Jazeera ![]() Newly formed people's assembly aims to rewrite political and legal order to better protect poor from private interests. |
22Mar2015 | Afro-Mexican and Indigenous Population Are Extremely Vulnerable, Says Expert![]() Notimex ![]() The Afro-Mexican population, extremely small in number and lacking means for the defense of their human rights, can even become more vulnerable than the national indigenous groups. Also, women continue to be subjected to discrimination in the country. |
20Mar2015 | Gilberto Lavenant on Slavery in Mexico: 'The Only Thing Missing Were the Shackles'![]() The Fulano Forum ![]() The agricultural businesses of Baja's San Quintin are among the most prosperous in Mexico. They freely exploit the farm workers. Nobody dares to stop them, because they are the most powerful men in the region. |
18Mar2015 | 200 Indigenous Farmworkers Rescued from Subhuman Conditions in Mexico![]() Agencia EFE ![]() More than 200 farmworkers living in subhuman conditions at a farm in Comondu, a city in Baja California Sur state, have been rescued, the Mexican Labor Secretariat said. |
11Mar2015 | Still, They Endure: The Paradox of Mexico's Legendary Tarahumara Runners![]() Remezcla ![]() Violence in Chihuahua, where barefoot runners endure a grueling 60-miles on dirt trails, is endangering the future of a tradition inspired by indigenous Tarahumara runners. |
08Mar2015 | Jailed in Mexico: Thousands of Indigenous Behind Bars Due to Language Barriers![]() Indian Country Today ![]() There are more than 8,000 indigenous people in prison in Mexico who do not know the charges against them due to a lack of bilingual personnel in the criminal justice system according to human rights activists. |
19Feb2015 | Native Tribes Unite to Fight the Keystone Pipeline and Government 'Disrespect'![]() PRI ![]() The Keystone XL pipeline may have divided advocates and lawmakers in Washington, but the controversial project has also united a wide group of Native American tribes whose lands the pipes would cross. |
11Feb2015 | Documenting Huichol Culture: 'Echo of the Mountain'![]() Variety ![]() An award-winning documentary about Huichol artist Santos de la Torre, divided between the creative process and scenes of traditional rituals. |
30Jan2015 | Disappeared Guerrero Students Case Also Highlights Racism in Mexico![]() Inter Press Service ![]() In Mexico, indigenous people, the small black minority, and the rural population are poorer and less educated, and have lower incomes, less social protection and limited access to justice and participation in politics. |
28Jan2015 | Spending Up for Mexico's Indigenous Communities![]() Mexico News Daily ![]() The federal government will spend 86 billion pesos this year, about US $5.9 billion, on projects designed to improve conditions for indigenous communities. |
17Jan2015 | Young Inventor Seeks Next Einstein Among Mexico's Indigenous People![]() Latin American Herald Tribune ![]() Cristobal Miguel Garcia Jaimes, who just turned 19, says he was driven to build the world’s cheapest particle accelerator by his interest in motivating other indigenous youths in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero. |
13Jan2015 | Experts Work to Save Mexican Indigenous Peoples' Rich Cultural Heritage![]() Fox News Latino ![]() Experts plan to build a phono-library by traveling across Mexico to record the spoken words, music and customs of the country's many Indian communities. |
10Jan2015 | Industries Suffer If They Do Not Respect Indigenous Rights, Report Says![]() Indian Country Today ![]() The disrespect of indigenous rights by companies and governments is both unjust and bad for business according to a special report issued by indigenous scholars at First Peoples Worldwide. |
02Jan2015 | Zapatista Uprising 21 Years Later: How Indigenous Mexicans Stood Up Against NAFTA![]() VICE News ![]() Mexico marks 21 years since the uprising led by leftist guerrillas of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation took Mexico by storm, gaining popular support in their defense of national sovereignty and indigenous rights. |
27Dec2014 | Mexico's Indigenous Demand Education in Their Language, Respect for Their Culture![]() La Jornada ![]() Indigenous communities in 19 states spoke out to ask why their native language, history and ancestral values are not a priority in the Mexican education system. |
24Dec2014 | 5,000 Tourists a Year Visit North Mexico to Take Hallucinogenic Peyote Cactus![]() MailOnline ![]() The consumption of a powerfully-hallucinogenic cactus believed to bring spiritual healing is fast pulling in a following in Mexico where thousands of tourists take part in shamanic rituals every year. |
23Dec2014 | Zapatistas Host World Festival of Resistance and Rebellion in Chiapas![]() RoarMag.org ![]() This month, the Zapatistas are organizing a major international meeting in Chiapas: the World Festival of Resistance and Rebellion Against Capitalism. |
16Dec2014 | Indigenous Illiteracy at Same Level as 40 Years Ago - Mexico Institute for Adult Education![]() La Jornada ![]() In an analysis to state authorities, it stands out that of the 5.4 million Mexicans that don’t know how to read or write, at least 1.5 million are indigenous people that speak a language other than Spanish. In addition to this, 3.3 million of all illiterate people are women. |
11Dec2014 | Artists Bring Indigenous Opera to One of Mexico's Most Dangerous States![]() Fusion ![]() When 43 college students disappeared in the Mexican state of Guerrero, the world finally started paying attention to the extortion, kidnappings and clashes with drug traffickers that have long plagued the area. But the violence hasn’t stopped a group of performers from bringing their work here. |
27Nov2014 | This Mexican Huichol MC Is Breaking a World Rap Record for More Than the Props![]() RYOT ![]() LA-based MC RedCloud is about to break a world record. On November 29th he’ll freestyle rhymes for more than 17 hours at Airliner, a venue in his home city. |
10Nov2014 | A Network of Indigenous Language Digital Activists Gather in Mexico![]() Global Voices ![]() The main idea of the three-day event was to provide a space for digital activists to meet face-to-face with others that share their commitment to preserving and revitalizing indigenous languages through the use of participatory digital media. |
04Nov2014 | This Rapper Wants to Set a New Guinness Record, and He's Doing It for Indigenous Women![]() Indian Country Today ![]() Hip hop artist MC RedCloud, of noted hip hop duo LightningCloud is going for a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, and he's doing it for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. |
12Oct2014 | Mexico's Tarahumara Struggle to Save Their Lands from Powerful Tourism Developers![]() Tierra Nativa ![]() The Tarahumara of Mogotavo struggle to save their lands from powerful tourism developers in Divisadero, Mexico’s famous Copper Canyon train station and overlook. |
10Oct2014 | Pena Nieto on Mexico Indigenous Rights: Praise Abroad, Protest at Home![]() CIP Americas ![]() Following the UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, Mexican indigenous leaders accused President Enrique Pena Nieto of portraying himself as a champion of indigenous rights in the international forum while violating them at home. |
25Sep2014 | Evo Morales Inaugurates First UN World Conference of Indigenous Peoples![]() Television del Sur ![]() President Evo Morales provided the opening remarks at the first United Nations World Conference of Indigenous People this week. The event is considered a special meeting as part of the ongoing U.N. General Assembly. |
23Sep2014 | Yaqui Tribal Authority's Jailing in Water Conflict Signals Need to Implement Environmental Justice ![]() CIP Americas ![]() The Sept. 11 jailing of Yaqui Traditional Tribal Secretary Mario Luna Romero was a wake-up call for environmental and human rights defenders globally. |
19Sep2014 | Indigenous Inventions and Innovations That Modern Society Owes a Debt To![]() Indian Country Today ![]() Indigenous cultures have spawned thousands upon thousands of innovations that are in use today in the most modern of practices. |
15Sep2014 | Indigenous in Mexico Denounce 'Racist Campaign' in Fight Over Aqueduct![]() teleSUR ![]() The Yaqui Tribe Observatory denounced attacks by Sonora State government, calling it "a racist campaign of hate" against indigenous people who are opposed to an aqueduct project. |
07Sep2014 | Filmmakers Sign Historic Agreement with Wixarika Tribal Authorities in Mexico City![]() IC Magazine ![]() A powerful new full-length feature film about the Wixarika People’s struggle to save their most sacred site from exploitation from Canadian mining companies has become the cutting edge of that movement as its director and protagonists prepare to make their way to Europe, the United States and Canada. |
04Sep2014 | October Gathering of Indigenous Language Digital Activism in Oaxaca, Mexico![]() Rising Voices ![]() The central focus of this gathering is to provide a space for peer learning and exchange targeted at 25 indigenous language digital activists that are currently using their languages in digital media. |
19Aug2014 | The Voices of Mexico's Indigenous Peoples Are Being Heard Anew![]() Frontera NorteSur ![]() Representatives of Mexico’s indigenous peoples have issued a new declaration and announced upcoming mobilizations to further their cause. |
18Aug2014 | As Men Emigrate, Indigenous Women Gain Political Opportunities and Obligations in Mexico![]() Truthout ![]() The emigration of men to the United States threatens indigenous systems of governance in Mexico. When men leave, the weight of activities in small towns falls on women, but despite this women are still fighting for space in the political arena. |
18Aug2014 | Majority of the Indigenous Population in Mexico Live in Extreme Poverty Conditions![]() The Playa Times ![]() In 2003, the Mexican government passed an anti-discrimination law which made any form of racial discrimination against indigenous people illegal, however Mexico’s indigenous communities still experience marginalization and continue to be disadvantaged and vulnerable. |
17Aug2014 | Indigenous, Mestizo Mexicans Five Times More Likely to Develop Type 2 Diabetes![]() Latin Times ![]() An important genetic study of type 2 diabetes among the Mexican population identified a gene present in the country's mestizos and indigenous population which suggests they maybe five times more likely to of develop the disease compared to other populations of the world. |
13Aug2014 | Oaxaca's Young Female Basketball Players Defy Violence and Poverty![]() Al Jazeera ![]() Young girls from from the indegenous Tricki tribe defy violence, poverty and discrimination to make a name for themselves and the town on basketball courts. |
09Aug2014 | Show Your Support for International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples![]() Survival International ![]() Survival International will not give up until we all have a world where tribal peoples are respected as contemporary societies and their human rights protected. |
06Aug2014 | At Indigenous Congress, Mexico's Zapatistas Confirm Solidarity with Palestinians![]() The Narcosphere ![]() Zapatistas affirmed their solidarity with Palestine, during the opening of the National Indigenous Congress in the Zapatista Stronghold of La Realidad, Chiapas, near Mexico's Guatemala border. |
25Jul2014 | Farmers Groups Protest Energy Reform with Mexico City 'Mega-March'![]() CNN Mexico ![]() Members of peasant farmer organizations participated in a mega-march from different parts of Mexico City to the Zocalo to protest the energy reform and to demand protection of the rights of campesino and indigenous peoples. |
20Jul2014 | Across Latin America, a Struggle for Communal Land and Indigenous Autonomy![]() Truthout.org ![]() Entering into the heart of indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, is like opening a door to a world of shapes, textures, colors and flavors that contrasts with the Western culture that governs daily life in big cities and westernized families. |
15Jul2014 | An Interview with the Directors of 'Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians'![]() IC Magazine ![]() When an Argentine filmmaker made his way up into a remote Wixarika community high in the Western Sierra Madre of Mexico, he knew he would be entering another world. What he didn’t know was how deeply it would change his own life. |
08Jul2014 | Indigenous to Benefit from New Sustainable Ecotourism Projects in 3 Mexican States![]() Mexico News Daily ![]() A new tourism agreement is designed to improve the lives of indigenous peoples with sustainable ecotourism projects in Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo. |
28Jun2014 | Study Finds Only 27 Percent of Indigenous Mexicans Finish High School![]() Press TV ![]() Recently released statistics show that in Mexico’s indigenous communities, only 27 per cent of children graduate from high school. |
26Jun2014 | Zapatistas Mourn a Death and Begin a New Cycle of Building Indigenous Autonomy![]() CIP Americas ![]() Last month's murder of an Indigenous Zapatista teacher, Jose Luis Solis Lopez, has galvanized a re-organization within the ranks of the Zapatistas and a renewed international solidarity movement. |
15Jun2014 | The Case That Shows How Far Indigenous Mexicans Are from Achieving Equality![]() VICE News ![]() An outrageously faulty case in Mexico illustrates how the country’s indigenous citizens struggle to be treated fairly under the law. |
04Jun2014 | The Soft Drink Invasion on Indigenous in Mexico; Increased Diabetes Death![]() Indian Country Today ![]() More Indigenous people are dying from diabetes according to a study released this month in Mexico, and officials are noting this increase is connected to the consumption of more sugary foods and drinks and fewer traditional indigenous ones. |
31May2014 | Indigenous Mexicans Join Forces to Conquer Markets![]() FreshFruitPortal.com ![]() A new organization has been formed in central Mexico uniting two traditional groups of growers in an effort to boost production and enter mainstream national and foreign markets. |
22May2014 | Latin American Indigenous Women Hold Tribunal During United Nations Forum![]() WeNews ![]() Rape, sexual abuse, femicide, physical and verbal abuse and discrimination are some of the forms of violence experienced by indigenous women in their own communities, said the women at the forum. |
19May2014 | Community-Based Tourism Is Changing the Face of Cancun, Mexico![]() treehugger ![]() An exciting new tide of change is sweeping through the Yucatan. Indigenous, community-based tourism initiatives are springing up, offering experiences that are adventurous, educational, and far more authentic than anything resorts have to offer. |
13May2014 | Model City Built to Help Mexico's Indigenous Poor Now a Ghost Town![]() Cronkite Borderlands Initiative ![]() Santiago el Pinar was planned as one of four model cities to help the state of Chiapas’ rural poor find better lives. But just three years later, the model city is a virtual ghost town. |
28Apr2014 | Hoop Dreams of Mexico's Indigenous Youth Provide Hope in 'Forgotten' Region![]() The Guardian ![]() Basketball has given the impoverished Triqui people a renewed sense of purpose after community club wins national plaudits. |
16Apr2014 | Fighting Off Extinction: The Story of Indigenous Mexican Languages![]() Indian Country Today ![]() There are at least 6 million indigenous people who are speaking an indigenous language in Mexico. While the larger groups are gaining some momentum, others are in danger. |
05Apr2014 | Tribunal Says NAFTA Linked to Massive Human Rights Violations in Mexico![]() CIP Americas ![]() Now wrapping up a four-year process of evidence gathering, members of the Mexican chapter of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal have found grave threats to the environment, food sovereignty, indigenous autonomy, and democratic rights of self-expression and organization of the Mexican people. |
04Apr2014 | INEE and Unicef to Consult Indigenous Communities on Processes of Educational Evaluation![]() La Jornada ![]() To determine the guidelines for examining education in indigenous communities, the INEE and Unicef will carry out a consultation in indigenous communities with the aim of learning what community members consider important in the educational process and how it may be evaluated. |
14Mar2014 | Group Aims to Stop Environmental Damage in Mexico![]() The News ![]() Organizations of farmworkers and indigenous people announced the formal founding of the Indigenous and Campesino Front of Mexico, which they said aims to protect the country’s jungles and forests from destruction, as well as defend the rights of rural and indigenous communities. |
07Mar2014 | Mexico's Indigenous Communities Turn to Conciliation to Resolve Legal Conflicts![]() La Jornada ![]() With the Mexican Judicial System in crisis, diverse indigenous peoples in Mexico have returned to putting into practice models of conflict resolution in the heart of their communities. |
03Feb2014 | Indigenous People in Mexico City Demand Right to Decide Natural Resource Policies![]() La Jornada ![]() The people of Milpa Alta say the government of the Federal District has a very aggressive policy on the environment, because the authorities intend to retain the natural resources "excluding the people in order to open the doors to private investment." |
04Jan2014 | Poverty of Mexico's Indigenous Peoples Due to State's Public Policy Failure![]() La Jornada ![]() The poverty that continues to effect Mexico’s indigenous population is the result of the failed public policy of the State rather than Zapatista thought, argues the Commissioner of Dialog with Indigenous Communities. |
04Jan2014 | Zapatista Uprising: How Indigenous Mexicans Stood Up Against NAFTA 'Death Sentence'![]() Democracy Now! ![]() On the same day the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect on Jan. 1, 1994, the Zapatista National Liberation Army and people of Chiapas declared war on the Mexican government, saying that NAFTA meant death to indigenous peoples. |
01Jan2014 | Mexico's Zapatista Rebel Movement Marks 20 Years After the Uprising![]() Associated Press ![]() Ski mask-clad members and supporters of the Zapatista rebel movement gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of a New Year's uprising that wrenched the world's attention to the plight of the country's impoverished and oft-ignored indigenous. |
26Dec2013 | Human Rights Group: Almost 80% of Indigenous Mexicans Live in Poverty![]() InSerbia ![]() Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission has revealed in a statement that just under 80% of Mexico’s indigenous peoples live in poverty. |
30Nov2013 | Mexico's Indigenous: 26.8% Illiteracy Among Those Who Speak an Indigenous Language![]() La Jornada ![]() In Mexico, at least 26.8% of the population that speaks an indigenous language is illiterate, and the average level of schooling for those who are able to attend school is the fifth grade of elementary school. |
12Nov2013 | Aeromexico Stops Six Indigenous Mexicans from Boarding Flight in Oaxaca![]() The Fulano Forum ![]() A group of six indigenous Indians from Oaxaca complained they were discriminated against by Aeromexico because they were prevented from boarding the airplane with the destination of Hermosillo, Sonora, in spite of the fact they had their tickets in hand. |
06Nov2013 | 64 Indigenous Mexican Language Dialects at Serious Risk of Extinction![]() La Jornada ![]() Of the 364 language dialects spoken in the country, 64 are classified as “at high risk” of extinction, having fewer than 100 speakers, according to Javier López Sánchez, professor at the National Indigenous Languages Institute. |
28Oct2013 | Pregnant Indigenous Mexican Women Face Hospital Discrimination![]() The Los Angeles Times ![]() Recent cases have underlined the inferior treatment often given to Mexico's indigenous communities, especially women. They have prompted new demands for greater access to healthcare, especially for Mexico's poor. |
28Oct2013 | Wings of the Eagle Health Clinics for Indigenous Women and Children in Mexico![]() Wings of the Eagle ![]() Wings of the Eagle began sponsoring monthly free clinics in May 2009. Since then hundreds of indigenous women and children have received desperately needed treatment. |
22Oct2013 | Bringing Education to Indigenous Women in Mexico![]() Wings of the Eagle ![]() The mission of Wings of the Eagle is to help alleviate suffering of the underprivileged in Mexico and other nations by bringing healing through health care and education. |
19Oct2013 | For Indigenous, Not Speaking Spanish a 'Crime' That Lands Them in Jail![]() CNN Mexico ![]() Only knowing the words “sí” or “no” in Spanish resulted in the unjust incarceration of 8,502 indigenous people during 2012. |
15Sep2013 | Huicholes Win Court Injunction Suspending All Mining in Sacred Territory![]() La Jornada ![]() In a decision that will set precedent for recognizing the spiritual rights of an indigenous people, the Huicholes obtained the suspension of mining authorizations in the region of Wirikuta, their holy land. |
13Sep2013 | Mexico Indigenous Women in Prison to Have Interpreters for Their Cases![]() Milenio ![]() Almost 300 indigenous women currently being held in state and federal jails are to receive support during the judicial process following a campaign organized by Inmujeres, the Mexican National Institute for Women. |
07Sep2013 | The Reality of Mexico's Indigenous People in Their Struggle for Civil Rights![]() LatinaLista ![]() As we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington last month, when we remembered the personal risks taken by people who stood up for racial equality, we’re reminded in this film selection that racism exists all over the world. |
28Aug2013 | Will Enrique Pena Nieto's Tourism Plan Protect Natives or Displace Them?![]() MintPress News ![]() Tourism remains a pillar of the Mexican economy, but a look back at development in recent years reveals a troubling trend for citizens who worry that the tourist industry and corporate development have come at the expense of the environment and communities losing access to lands. |
11Aug2013 | Huichol indigenous People and Desert Dwellers Unite in Defense of Sacred Land![]() CIP Americas Program ![]() Mining companies are telling landowners in the desert region of central Mexico that the Huichol indigenous people want to take their land. They want to stir up a confrontation between the desert population and the tribe and to convince the population of the “benefits” of the mines. |
09Aug2013 | Latin America Celebrates 'International Day of Indigenous People'![]() Hispanically Speaking News ![]() Today is the day to celebrate the nearly 400 million indigenous people that populate our planet many in Latin American countries. |
31Jul2013 | Mexico's Peyote Casts Mind-Bending Spell on Tourists![]() Agence France-Presse ![]() Every year tourists from all over the world go to the Wirikuta desert, a place in the center of Mexico considered magical by the Huichols indigenous people. Visitors come to find the peyote, a protected cactus with hallucinogenic properties. |
19Jun2013 | Experts Say Mexico Needs to Foster the Knowledge of Its Indigenous Peoples![]() La Jornada ![]() Specialists and members of organizations of tradition stated that the government of Enrique Pena Nieto should deploy an efficient agenda of attention to the indigenous peoples. |
27Apr2013 | Thousands Turn Out for Gathering of Nations Powwow![]() Associated Press ![]() A thunderous, rhythmic roar of jingling bells and beating drums rumbled through University of New Mexico Arena on Friday as hundreds of Native American and indigenous dancers gathered for the start of powwow season. |
23Apr2013 | Mexico's Indigenous Participate More in Elections but Exercise Fewer Social Rights![]() La Jornada ![]() In accordance with an assessment by the Federal Electoral Institute concerning political behavior and the exercise of social rights, there is greater participation in elections and a significant lack in exercising basic guarantees. |
20Apr2013 | Mexico's Indigenous Wixaritari Ask UN for Help Protecting Sacred Lands![]() The News ![]() Members of the Huichol (Wixaritari) tribe asked the United Nations this week to help them protect their sacred land from mining companies. |
18Apr2013 | Reforms to Law of Amparo Ideal to Protect Collective Indigenous Rights - Mexico Supreme Court President![]() CNN Mexico ![]() With the amendments to the Law of Amparo, this legal right becomes an ideal instrument for the procedural defense of the collective rights of indigenous peoples, said the President of the Supreme Court of Justice. |
12Apr2013 | Indigenous Peoples Demand to be Included in Mexico's National Development Plan![]() La Jornada ![]() In order that their demands are incorporated into the National Development Plan, organizations belonging to the National Indigenous Movement will hold forums to stress the need for recognition of the rights of the indigenous peoples. |
02Apr2013 | A 'Like' for Linguistics: Can Social Media Save Mexico's Unwritten Languages?![]() The Christian Science Monitor ![]() Many indigenous languages alive in Mexico today don't have formal written systems, but a growing number of computer-savvy young people want to Facebook and tweet in their native tongue. |
01Apr2013 | Violence Against Indigenous Women and the Twofold Challenge![]() Al Jazeera ![]() In many contexts, woman in Latin America face an uphill battle to maintain even the most basic human rights. This is magnified for indigenous women. |
27Mar2013 | Government Offends Dignity of Mexico's Indigenous People at Human Rights Hearing![]() La Jornada ![]() The tendency of the Mexican State to distance itself when confronted by the justness of the rights of indigenous peoples is not novel; but this time it showed itself directly and offensively within the confines of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. |
24Mar2013 | Spanish Company to Build Wind Farms in Oaxaca & Puebla, Despite Indigenous Opposition![]() Proceso ![]() Despite opposition from indigenous residents to the construction of wind farms in their communities, the electric company Iberdrola announced that this year it will invest $910 million in three new projects. |
18Mar2013 | UNAM: Only 19.3 Percent of Mexican People are Non-Poor, Non-Vulnerable![]() La Jornada ![]() Only 19.3 percent of Mexico's population has the decent conditions to be considered within the group of non-poor and non-vulnerable, while 25 percent of Mexicans have no social or economic capacity to meet their food needs. |
17Mar2013 | Bridging the Worlds of Faith and Conservation![]() World Wildlife Fund ![]() Many of the most important conservation places in the world are sacred, deeply rooted in local spiritual and cultural traditions. These places also face overwhelming threats, including deforestation, pollution, unsustainable extraction, melting glaciers and rising sea levels. |
14Mar2013 | Indigenous Groups Push for Participation in Gov't Development Plans![]() La Jornada ![]() Commitments were signed yesterday by a dozen leaders of indigenous organizations and the Commissioner for Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, that national indigenous movement organizations will participate in several government planning processes. |
07Mar2013 | Indigenous Huichol Council Demands Cancellation of Mining Concessions on Sacred Land![]() Latin American Herald Tribune ![]() A Mexican Indian community is demanding that a Canadian mining company be stripped of seven concessions, accusing it of carrying out illegal exploration work. |
04Mar2013 | Wirrarika Reaffirm Their Determination to Defend Their Territories in Mexico![]() Upside Down World ![]() The definitive cancellation of mining and agro-industrial contracts in the sacred territory of the Wirrarika is urgent due to the serious ecological, social and spiritual effects that are affecting the indigenous and communal farmers of the region. |
02Mar2013 | Mexico's Indigenous Raramuris Still Awaiting Justice After 85 Years![]() Proceso ![]() On Friday, about 200 indigenous Raramuris traveled to the capital of Chihuahua to demand justice for their land, and for the murder of lawyer and activist Rabago Martinez. |
26Feb2013 | Indigenous Youth Around the World Step Up Efforts to Protect Their Roots![]() Inter Press Service ![]() Indigenous youth from some of the world’s oldest living cultures are stepping forward to steer their communities past the threat of disappearance and into an age of coexistence with an increasingly globalized world. |
22Feb2013 | Indigenous Women in Mexico Call for an End to Domestic Violence![]() The Huffington Post ![]() A group of indigenous Raramuri women in northern Mexico have launched a campaign to stop the increasing violence they face daily, which in many cases is culturally accepted in their communities and involves physical, verbal, psychological and sexual aggression. |
20Feb2013 | Indigenous Celebrate International Mother Language Day in Mexico![]() Mexico Voices ![]() The UN's International Mother Language Day is annually held on February 21 to celebrate languages spoken worldwide. As part of the celebration, the INALI will hold a ceremony attended by indigenous representatives of eleven linguistic families spoken in Mexico by almost 7 million inhabitants. |
08Feb2013 | Motivated by Tradition, Indigenous Women Take the Lead in Idle No More![]() YES! Magazine ![]() Motivated by ancient traditions of female leadership as well as their need for improved legal rights, First Nations women are stepping to the forefront of the Idle No More movement. |
07Feb2013 | Tribes Vulnerable To Climate Change Health Impacts![]() Fronteras Desk ![]() A group of scientists from universities, research institutes and federal agencies say we can blame climate change for an increase in heat stroke, respiratory problems and other health issues in coming years. |
05Feb2013 | One Constitution for all Mexicans: Agency Translates Document into 10 Native Languages![]() The News ![]() As Mexico celebrates the 96th anniversary of its Constitution, a government agency has translated the Mexican Constitution into 10 indigenous languages to promote rights for indigenous peoples. |
30Jan2013 | Violations of Legal Due Process are 'Daily Bread' - Especially for Mexico's Indigenous![]() La Jornada ![]() Due process violations of the accused are 'daily bread' in Mexico, and one sector that suffers most are indigenous who do not speak Spanish, whose rights to interpreters and to presumption of innocence are commonly violated. |
27Jan2013 | As Native Tongues Dwindle Worldwide, Indigenous Languages in Mexico Revive and Thrive![]() Worldfocus ![]() Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson highlight Mexico's attempt to preserve the past by speaking ancient languages in the present tense. |
22Jan2013 | Miniature Beaded Volkswagens, 'Vocholitos' Help Promote Mexico's Unique Popular Art![]() MexicoToday ![]() Following the popularity of the world’s only Mexican beaded Volkswagen, namely “Vochol”, the Museum of Popular Arts’ Friends Association has made available miniature replicas which can be purchased at their stores in Mexico City. |
22Jan2013 | Mexico Still Challenged with 'What Shall We Do with the Indians?'![]() La Jornada ![]() Despite the policies developed by the state for its disappearance and economic programs in the private sector for the same purposes, indigenous peoples remain, struggling against the colonialists policies exercised against them. |
19Jan2013 | Beating the Odds in a Place Where One in Three Women Can Expect to Be Raped![]() Indian Law Resource Center ![]() My two daughters and I are beating the odds. I’m not talking about breast cancer. I’m talking about the harsh fact that one in three Native women will be raped in her lifetime. |
16Jan2013 | Indigenous Commission Created to Give Indian Communities a Permanent Political Dialogue![]() Hispanically Speaking News ![]() The government has created the Commission for Dialogue with Mexico’s Indian Peoples this week in an effort to repay the “historical debt” owed to the nation’s native communities, Government Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said. |
11Jan2013 | Idle No More: How an Indigenous Protest Movement Erupted in Canada and Spread to the World![]() YES! Magazine ![]() Idle No More has organized the largest mass mobilizations of indigenous people in recent history. What sparked it off and what’s coming next? |
01Jan2013 | Less in Federal Budget this Year for Mexican Indigenous Peoples![]() Prensa Latina ![]() Mexico's federal budget 2013 foresees a drop of 8.8 percent in allocation for the development of indigenous peoples, reports the newspaper La Jornada. |
10Dec2012 | Human Rights Day Spotlight on Women, Youth, Minorities, Disabiled, Indigenous, Poor![]() UN.org ![]() Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere. |
21Nov2012 | Yaqui Vicam Pueblo Host International Defense of Water Conference![]() The Narcosphere ![]() Greetings from the International Gathering for the Defense of Water, hosted by the Yaqui Traditional Authority, in Vicam Pueblo, Sonora, Mexico. |
16Nov2012 | New Nonprofit Supports Preserving the Huichol Culture in Mexico![]() SantaCruz.com ![]() Brant Secunda’s Huichol Foundation believes they possesses a way of life that can be a valuable teaching tool for the rest of the world, especially the developed West. |
28Oct2012 | Indigenous Tarahumara Settlement Faces Food Crisis![]() Chron.com ![]() Known for their prowess at long-distance running, resistance to assimilation and dependence on subsistence farming, the Tarahumara have survived in Mexico long after other native people vanished. In recent times, unforeseen dangers have reached the Sierra Tarahumara. |
27Oct2012 | Our Exquisite Corpse: Beaded Skulls From the Huichol People of Western Mexico![]() Visual News ![]() These sculptures are unique in being both joyously colored and surprisingly macabre. Coming from the country know for celebrating the Day of the Dead, each skull is created by the Huichol people of Western Mexico. |
27Oct2012 | Pena Nieto Vows to Back His 'Indigenous Brothers and Sisters'![]() The News ![]() President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto announced this week that his administration will bring bilingual legal advisors and interpreters for indigenous individuals into the court system, and pledged his respect for his “indigenous brothers and sisters.” |
22Oct2012 | A Dynamic Year of Indigenous Communication![]() Al Jazeera ![]() Indigenous media is a tool for self-determination in many ways... it is an important first step to revive languages that may otherwise disappear. |
02Oct2012 | Vochol Beetle is Beginning Its European Tour![]() Mexico Today ![]() The Vochol, a 1990s Volkswagen Beetle that has been decorated with traditional Huichol beadwork from Mexico, will be spending its autumn and winter touring Europe. |
10Aug2012 | Balancing Support of Indians With Respect of Culture![]() EFE ![]() After centuries of policies that focused on integrating indigenous people into society and stripping them of their customs, Mexico is in the middle of what several experts consider a new historical period based on respect for Indians' way of life that has problems of its own. |
07Aug2012 | Reopening Silver Mine Could Save Town, But Destroy the Sacred Site of the Huicholes![]() Indian Country Today ![]() Canada's First Majestic Silver Corp. wants to reopen old mining shafts in a venture called the La Luz Silver Project, but the Huicholes are, perhaps for the first time, standing guard of their most consecrated site - and their culture. |
05Aug2012 | Indigenous Peace and Dignity Journey Reaches California's Bay Area![]() El Tecolote ![]() Every four years since 1992, participants in the Peace and Dignity Journey begin their voyage across the American continent from both ends: Chickaloon, Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. |
12Jul2012 | Native Americans Descend From 3 Key Migrations![]() ANI ![]() An international team of scientists has found that Native American populations - from Canada to the southern tip of Chile - arose from at least three migrations. |
06Jun2012 | Superstars Play at Mexico's Wirikutafest![]() Univision News ![]() Cafe Tacvba, Julieta Venegas and Calle 13 played at the music festival in support of the Wixarika people, one of Mexico's oldest and most traditional Indian groups. |
28May2012 | Festival to Support Mexican Indians Draws Major Crowds![]() Hispanically Speaking News ![]() Thousands of people attended a festival this weekend in Mexico City to show their support for the efforts of the Wixarika Indians to protect their land and learn more about indigenous culture. |
26May2012 | Mexican Natives Slam 'Protection' Measures for Their Sacred Lands![]() Al Jazeera ![]() While Mexico's government says it will protect thousands of acres of land considered sacred by the Huichol Indian tribe, Huichol leaders have severely criticized the measures saying their holy land is still under threat. |
25May2012 | Mexico Promises to Protect Huichol Indian Lands![]() Associated Press ![]() Mexico's government says it will protect a half-million acres held sacred by the Huichol Indian tribe that inspired a protest movement against a Canadian company's silver-mining concessions in the northern desert. |
10May2012 | Mountain Waters Run Dry for Mexico's Wixaritari People![]() Environment News Service ![]() For over 500 years, the Wixaritari Indians of Mexico have suffered from poverty, malnutrition and racism - today, they are also victims of global climate change. |
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