1 12 21 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/feb21190ca04d109ada15c83f30b93da.pdf e3c347c93d91cf5efd63597340caeff4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (40).pdf PDF Text Text ITEMS AVAILABLE FROM SAIIC Daughters of Abya Yala Video: Rebuilding Our Communities Testimonies of Indian women orga. Indigenous leaders from Central and South America d iscuss the nizing throughout the Continent. SOO-years campaign, which began as an Indian response to the Quincentenary celebration and has developed as an ongoing d ialogue among indigenous activists. Produced by SAIIC. S18 + S 1.75 shipping. Statements from gra.ssroots Indian women leaders from South and Meso America. rndvdes resolutions from Indigenous women's meetings, a directory of Indian women's orga· nizations and key contacts, informa· tion on Indian women's proiects, and poems by Indian women. Forty-eight pages w ith beautijul black and white photographs. Printed on recycled paper. S6 + S1 .50 shipping. An updated, bound edition is also available for S8 + S 1.50 shipping. Video: A Skirt Full of Butterflies Amazonia: Voices from the Rainforest A resource and action guide with a comprehen.sive listing of international rainforest and Amazonian Indian organizatiions sponsored by SAIIC and the International Rivers N etwork, and pub· lished by Rainforest Action N etwork and Amazopia Film Project. 199 0. Available in Spanish or English for $ 4.50 + S 1.75 shipping. 15 minutes. A love poem to the Isthmus Zapotec women of south· ern Oaxaca, Mexico, by filmmakers E llen Osborne and Maureen Gosling. For every purchase made, a se<ond copy will be sent to an Indigenous women's organization as a gift. S19.95 + S3 shipping. Video: Columbus Didn't Discover Us Native people's petSpcctives on the Columbus Quincentennial based on the footage of the 1990 Quito Conference. 24 minutes. A co-produc· lion of SAIIC, CONAIE, ONIC and Tuming 1id<! Productions. Available in Spanish or E nglish. S19.95 + S1.75 for shipping f< handling . 1992 International Directory & Resource Guide An annotated d irectory of over 600 international organizations that participated in 500 Years of Resistance projects. Includes declarations from Indigenous conferences and organizations and information on curriculum resources, speakers bureaus$ computer netw orks, audio-visual resources and print resources. SS + S1.75 shipping. South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAil C) P.O. Box 28703. Oakland, CA 94604 Non-profit O rganization US Postage PAID Oakland,CA Permit No. 79 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Back Cover Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Back Cover Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (40).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Pages 40 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/9054d1672ccf8d27047acc1316bbc377.pdf 7096c81fb2043b636aa71584550bfa7d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (39).pdf PDF Text Text S A I I C News from S S~IIC ... AIIC is tn the midst of many changes. We h.-·e changed our name to the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center to bet· ter rcOcct the focus of our activit<>. Wlule rninee as international relat1ons coordinator. SAIIC board member and women's project coordinator. Wam Alderete fur· thercd her information g.11henng on tm· ditional health systems and auended a infonnation gathering and dissemination conference on women and traditional continue to be major projects fo r us. the health hosted by Way\1 Indians this new name describes more clearly our role September in Venezuela. In conjunction in International organizing: to fight for Indian peoples' rights. In a more concr<te change. we will also be mo,1ng tn No"ember to new office spaces at 171'1 Fmnkhn (3rd Floor). also in downtown Oakland. Tins large new sp3cc "111 acco· modate our expanded team or amcms and volunteers. 0\'CT the summer, we have focused largely on Issues o f biodiversity conserva· tion and Intellectual property rights. which are receiving increasing international attention. SAIIC board member and Cultuml Sur\-ival-Canada. exccutl\'e din:ctor. Alejandro Arnaru Argumedo spent se\'Cml weeks here in Oakland p3r· with The Book Publishing Comp3ny. we ha'" published the second edition of the women's book "Daughters of t\bya Yala" . For the fifth consccuuve ytar. Nilo Cayuqueo represented SAIIC at the UN Working Group on Indigenous Peoples meeting in GenC\•a. He also helped orga· nizc a planning meeting for 1he Coordinating Committee of Indigenous Nations a nd Organizations of the Continent (CONIC) in Bolivia. St\IIC is pleased to announce that Marcos Yoc, Maya·Caqchiquel from Guatemala, mil be joining the board of dtrectors. Marcos has been :acuve m the Chtmahenango area and works m Maya ticapaung 10 e\'tnlS relating to these 1ssues education. and planntng for our upcoming workhop on ''Indigenous peoples, Customary Law and 'Intellectual Propert y Rights."' This workshop " ;II take place in corly 1995 and will bring together Indigenous peoples from Nonh and South America who arc facing constant thrtats to theor survi"al as cuhures of the land. The work· shop \\111 be an opponunoty for lnd.g<nous peoples to dC\·elop pohey and suateg~es to enhance their struggles for ad,·ancing inherent rights and protecting blo-cultural resources and spiritual values. SAIIC assisted in organizing a plan· ning meeting of the Coord inating Committee or Indigenous women of Meso nnd South America. which took ploce in Boliva this june. SAIIC Mil con· tinue pan•dp3t1ng m the steering com- David Tecklin will be l<aving the SAIIC Office Coordinator position to renew work with forest conservation issues. Ch eryl Musch will be managing the office through the winter. We are also happy to welcome MacArthur Foundation Fellow Marc Becker here to work wuh us for the next y<ar. Marc ,viii be using h•s extensive experience with computer nctworklng to help us exp3nd our inforrnauon systems ~N0.3&4 via the internet. Marc li\'ed in Ecuador last year. where he will return ngain next )'C:rtr to finish research for his disscnation. St\IIC has established on electronic con· terence on PeaceNet called S(liic.indio. \Ve \viii be po&ing a voriety of new and histor· leal infonnation on St\IICs acth~ties and the Indian mo\'ement m thiS conference. The full text o( the &rbados Ill Declamtlon e.•cerpted u1 th•s 1SSue has been po&ed there in English and Sp3nish. To join PeaccNet. c:~ll ('115) 442.{)220. If you already ha"e all Internet e-mail account rou can be placed on a mailing list to receh'C the postings to the SAIIC conference by send· ing a note which simply s. ys "subscribe 1 saiic·l.. to majordomo®igc.apc.org. Over the summer, SAIIC has also been organiza· \'try busy Implementing se\'ernl tiona) str.ueg•es m order to strengthen our work. We completed one of the two public awareness c:amp.•igns planned for thiS )"ear. Approximately 5.000 people in the San Fmncisco 6.1y t\rea received news and information about SAIIC-most likely for the first time. This effort will also help to finance the second planned public aware· ness campaign targeting approximately 200 foundations in the United States. Broadening our base of subscribers to the journal IS cn1ieal m our move tov..ard more self-sustaLnabLiity. You can help with this elTon b)• sending us the names and addresses of anyone who might be interested in receiving infonnation about SAIIC and Abya Yala News. You are cordially invited to SAIIC's Offlce Warming Party 1714 Franklin, 3rd A. Monday. December 14. 1995 6:00-1O:OOpm Refreshments Mil be served. Office \vonning gifts glad I)' accepted. We still need office equipment, including: modems, a scanner, Macintosh or 486 PC computers. as well as alithe usual items. 39 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource News from SAIIC Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title News from SAIIC Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (39).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Abstract Note Ongoing events and projects in SAIIC Pages 39 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/f8994083a27704d45771b082177cad03.pdf 553ae061fe77985555adbd00f69074d8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (38).pdf PDF Text Text CA L E H D A R 0 F EV E H T S Oct.17-18 Nov. 30-Dec. 2 Seminar on Self-determination for Indian Peoples National and International Conference on NAFTA Indigenous people from throughout Mexico will participate in this conference organized by El Colegio de Mexico, under the leadership of Rodlofo Stavenhagen. The Aukir1 Wallmapu Ngulam (All lands Council) is calling this conference in Temuco, Chile out of concern fo r the governments plans to join NAFTA by the end of next year. Qmtact: Rod~fo Stavtnhagen, tcVfox: 52-5·645·59·55 ContGGt: Au.hifl WQ.Ilmapu Ngulam, General Mackenna 152 Ca.silla 448, Tcmuco. Chile teVfax: 56-45-235-697 Oct. 20- Nov. 15 Big Mountain to Chiapas Good Medicine Run This relay run will begin in Big Mountain and proceed to Brownsville, TX. (Oct.20·29). Second leg is from Brownsville to Chiapas (Nov. l-15). Each night of the run traditional exchanges or Native American cultures will take place. Sacrtd Run Foundation, Inc. PO BX 315 Newport, Kenrutky 41071 Td: (606)581·9456 Fax: (606)581-9458 Dec. 9-10 Summit of the Americas President Clinton has invited the other p residents of the Americas to Miami , Florida, to establish a strategy for develop· ing a new relationship between the American states. Clinton is ex1>ected to pressure the latin American states to accept U.S. patent laws and the international agreements of NAFTA and GATf. Indigenous people " "" work to establish an alternative Oct. 22-24 meeting, and pressure governments to accept Indigenous partie· ipation. Guatemalan Government and URNG Re-open Negotiations Peace negotiations between the Guatemalan government and the Dec. 12 National Revolutionary Union of Guatemala guerilla movement will re~open in Mexico City. lndian groups will be working to gain emrance into these talks which will affect Indigenous communities throughom Guatemala. Nov. 10-20 Symposium: " 502 Years of Denied Rights" The Centro di Doeumentazione della Etniein Firenze, Italy, is organizing this conference focusing on rights to land. spirituality and identity. Contact: Villa Fabbricoui· via Viu. .Emtlntu:lt 64, 50134 Flrcnzc, ltalla, tel/fax: 39-55·48860 Nov. 13 First Indigenous Autochtonous Festival Dancers and Musicians will be coming to La Paz from all over Bolivia to commemorate the deuh of Aymarn heroe Tupac Katari in 1781. Ccntatt: CED1MA (Aymara \Vom<n$ Center for ldcologtcal Dis<u5Sion. tel/fax: 591-2.35-48-74 38 Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples The United Nations will inaugurate the Decade for Indigenous People during International Human Rights Day in New York City. Indigenous leaders from around the world are expected to attend. Comact: Tonaticrra, 1818 S. 16!h St, Phoenix, AZ 85034 #418 T<l: 602-254-5230 Or conratt SAliC January. 1995 Indigenous Peoples, Customary Law and 'Intellectual Property Rights' Workshop The workshop \viii be held at the SAIIC offices in O..kland. Indigenous representatives from Meso and South America ' vill gather to develop Indigenous strategies for long-term survival in the face of new exploitation aimed at Indian lands. Sponsors are still needed to suppon participation of Indigenous delgates. Comact: SAIIC or the Indigenous PeopleS Biodi\'trsicy Network, Suit< 620. I Nltlrolas St. Ouawa, Ontario, KIN787 Tel: (613) 241 4500 Fax: (613) 241 2292 Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Calendar of Events Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Calendar of Events Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (38).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Pages 38 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/cd3dc8d41868475e3d65abbd4d602f6f.pdf d829c305042291b5902abce3eecab6c8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (35-37).pdf PDF Text Text W 0 MEN Drug Trafficking and Strip Searches Place Wayu Women in Peril The following statement regarding "La Requisa lntima"-The Strip Search. was made by Dalla Duran of the Indigenous Movement for National Identity CMOIIN). and appeared in IWGIA he Way(l people have lived on Guajira Peninsula between Colombia and Venezuela since before the Spanish arrived on this conti· nent. This coastal and semi·desert territo· ry of vast planes is the home of our matrilineally organized society. Way(l women are the axis of this society: inheritance and the last name follow the mothers line. Women:S presence and participation arc funda mental in the development and T continuity of each clan . Nonetheless. in the last few years, the menace of drug trafficking has begun to shake the foundation of our community and the position of women Within it. In contrast to many other regions of South America, drugs arc neither grown. nor processed in Guajirn. However. our location , which for years kept us isolated from European innucnces and the missions. has today become our biggest problem . Over the last twenty years, the Guajira has been converted into a giant landingsuip and a port of transit for ships. Drugs arc launched from here to the drug consuming countries of the world . Drug trafficking has had more than a transitOT)' presence. Huge quantities of money have allractcd cheap labor to the region: men • women and children act as guards for the landing strips and illicit ports which appear and disappear as if by magic on the savannas and coasts. Dntgs are stored in the workers' houses, involving entire families in this activity. VOl. s No.3 The quanlllles of money paid to the "mules" work should be stopped. we canworkers transforms our communities' not accept the treatment that our women traditional values. Our society's mea· receive daily on crossing the border check sured balance with the environment, points. The searches that arc carried out based on taking only what is necessary are inhuman and undignified. The from our habitat, is evaporating. At the national guard. police and customs offisame time. violence has grown. as has cials assume that every woman dressed in the nun1ber of anns-which are required traditional clothing or having our featu res in the functioning of the drug trade. is a ..mule." During these searches, even Thus, the model of life based on respect women~ genitals are examined in small for women and on strong commu· nity solidarity is at risk. For five "For five centuries. women have centuries, women have exercised a exercised a fundamental role in fundamental role in the defense of our traditions along the long road the defense of our traditions ... • of European colonization. and the place of women emerged strengthened by this process. Despite the cubicles in front of the other traveling Spanish conquistadors' plundering o f companions and without any kind of san· our society, it never uprooted the status itary control. Only the poor and humble of women in WayU society. \VayU women who travel by truck or bus Throughout the world, drug traffick- are searched in this way. Those who trav. ers use '"mules.. to transport small quanti· el in private cars are not affected. ties of drugs from one spot to another. h is no exageration to call these strip Here, drugs need only be carried the few searches a violation of our fundamental kilometers from Colombia to the frontier rights. The searches violate our dignity as cities of Venezuela. In this activity, Way(l human beings, it is not only an ass.'luh on women are in demand for their stamina, our morality, but only exposes the popuaudacity and capacity to overcome fear. lation to venereal diseases and conNonetheless, the government's actions tributes to the deteriorating physical. to arrest violence generated by the drug emotional and mental health of the Way(l trade have put Indigenous people at the women. We hope that this statement center of a connict which. in many cases, causes renection on this issue. as our jeopardizes women the most. Even people are living under inhuman condithough we understand that the authori- tions under the indifferent glances of the ties reaction is logical, and that the authorities. ~ 35 �ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNICATION Indigenous People's Alliance <IPA> Update countries to panake in the next encounter. Those pre-.sem emri. Indigenous Peoples Alliance (IPA) members auended the Tohono O'odham Human Rights Conference in Sells. Arizona, on july 29-30 in the lohono O'odham Nation, extending alliances across the Mexico/U.S/Canada borders. Following the conference in Sells, the IPA convened in Phoenix for a strategy and planning meeting on Aug. I. Representatives from sioned the promotion and encouragentcnt of elders around the Tonanrzin, Indigenous Environmental Network, En'owkin ciples for the CONIC constitutional convention were distributed for cotnment and discussion on recruitment strategy undenak· en. Members were updated on the situation in Chiapas by was the 1heme of this congress sponsored by the CH1-G (Council of May Education of Guatemala), Aug. 8-11, 1994, in Que1zahenango attended by approximately 350 Ma)'a teachers. In discussing 1he needs of the Maya, their reality and cosmovision, spirituality and philosophy, 1he teachers recommended Marcos Perez Gomez from ORIACH (Organizacion Regional de los Altos de Chiapas). the initiation of Maya curriculum in both rural and urban areas. including: Mayan mathematics. astronomy, medicine, linguis· Center, and Peace and Dignity Project auended. The draft prin- For' mon: information. Contact: Tonatiern. POll24009, Phoenix Az 85074 Tel: 602- 254-5230 Fa." 602-252-6094 First Encounter of Maya Elders and Spiritual Guides in Guatemala Maya elders and spiritual guides met on March 13-22. 1994, at the different cardinal points in Tecpa'n, Guatemala. This gathering wns a chance for an exchange of information on Maya astrology with an ernphasis on predicting cycles which can aid elders in their healing rituals. The Maya Calendar was a major point of discussion. Some people believe that the prophecies o f the calendar will have a great impact over the next 20 years. A council of elders and spiritual guides fonned at this encounter with the intention of unifying Indigenous communia ties. The panicipants also decided to invite elders from other world to practice, exchange, and impan their traditional teachings and healing practices. First Congress of Maya Education "The time has come that we re-initiate the cirdc of light. .... tics, ans. philosophy. productivity and culture. They also called for the opening of more schools for training bilingual MayaSpanish teachers, and the institutionalization of21languages by the Academy of Maya languages. Workshops to Train Indigenous Journalists Planned in Norway SAI IC·Norway representative Sebastian Lara and Sami journalist Unni Wenche Gronvold are establishing an Indigenous journalists Project in Oslo, Norway. The p roject will o rganize training workshops for Indigenous journalists from throughout the conrinent. These workshops will strengthen the lntemalional Association of Indigenous Press (AlPIN) which is currently broadcasting from Mexico City. SAIIC-Norway is seek- ing economic assistance from governments who are sponsoring to 1he U.N. Decade for Indigenous Peoples, as well as from the Spanish News Agency EFE. The Foreign Relations Office of the Norwegian government is now swdying SAllC·NorwayS pro· posal. This project will enable more Indigenous journalists to repon on their own struggles. F4r m4rt infonnatlon and to send a$$fSrancc: SAIIC-Norge. Torgatta 34.0183 Oslo. Norw.>y Free Workshops For the Women of La Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina The women of Quebrada de Humahuaca Province. in the Republic of jujuy, Argentina. have been organizing . Recently, this work included designing n ew practical components for the States educational system, including the prac1ice of preserving fruits and vegetables, weaving, hcahh education, ceramics. music and dance, and especially the recuperation of their native language Kechua. This project results from free workshops orgaInd igeno us w o men's committee meets betow the wip h&t& 36 nized independently by women in various localities. Also the educational amhorities. OIGEMAS. and the Ministry of Culture M:Jya Yala News �ORGANIZATION and Education all included the women~ proposals into the state system. The workshops' primary objectives have been to achieve incen- tives for panicipation through collective organiz.. 'l.tion. incentives for production based on a subsistence oconomy, incorporation of modem techniques, re-valuation and advancement of the culture, recovery of the native tongue. Kcchua. and improving the standard of li'""&· For mort: infotmalion~ J~ de Ia lglesia/2238-Cu)"'ya·Son Salvador de jujuy Rcp~blica Argcntin.V Tel: 29605 Ecuadorian Indigenous Women's Forum The forum was held between july and Sept. . in preparation for the Fourth Women$ Conference. Women from the Quichua. Slmar, Achuar. Siona, Cofan, Secoya, lioao. Awa, Chachi, Tsachi and Huancavilcas prepared the document "Women of Yesterday, Women of Today, Always 'Women, \Ve weave the Fmure of Our People.. which analyzes their situation within the communmes and within Ecuadorian society in general. They demand recognition of the different Indigenous nation· alities within a Plurinational state, demarca· tion of Indigenous territories, and the granti· ng of communal ownership over them. At the same time, they requested govern· ment attention to improving agricultural and anis..·m production and commercialization. better infrastruc-ture. education and health services. They also demanded respect for Indigenous peoples human rights and the par· ticipation or women in the processes that affect them. For more informa!lon, or ro obtain tilt meeting~ final dccumcm: Agel'lcia latino:uncrica.na de 1nfonnaci6n (ALAI). Casilla 17-12-$77. Quito. Ec\lador. Av. 12 de oetubre 622 y Paula. Edificio 6ossano. Of. 503. Tel: (593) 2 505 074 Fax: (593) 2 505 073 First Regional Encounter of Mapuche Women in Chile The Mapuche Zomo Ni Unel Xawl"' (First Regional Encounter of Mapuchc Women) was Vol. 8 No.3 AND COMMUN I CATION organized by the Coordinating Commiuee of Mapuche Women\; Institutions of the IX Region on Sept. 5. Participants worked to analyze a number of fundamental cultural concepts in order to understand and implemem them from an Indigenous perspec· tive. Concepts like Mapuche identity; health and its relation to the sacred: education. and its relation to wisdom~ the exercise of memory and precision~ were central themes of the discussion. Finally they addressed the situation of Indigenous women who cominue to live in the communities as well as those who have migrated. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Drug Trafficking and Strip Searches Place Wayu Women in Peril Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Drug Trafficking and Strip Searches Place Wayu Women in Peril Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (35-37).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Abstract Note Wayu women are being placed in danger by the mandatory strip searches in the Guajira Peninsula, which were instituted to combat the drug trade. Also dsicusses upcoming events. Pages 35-37 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/e22dcf681aa402604530e16c5385a5fa.pdf 21550d7dc70e712056de3d1aa75348c5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (34).pdf PDF Text Text W 0 ME N 3. Establish relations with national and inte- national organizations and particr ipate actively to articulate, promote and project the demands of women and Indigenous peoples. In order to achieve these objectives, the committee members established the regional bases for a continental communication and infom1ation dissemination net· Women from around the continent ca me to La Paz to b uild commu· nication and plan future strategies Strengthening the Network: Second Encounter of Indigenous Women from South, Central America and Mexico work. These will be, the Council of Maya Organization of Guatemala. the Workshop of Kuna Women-Association of Napguana (Panama), the Foundation of Educational . Social and Economic Development FUNDASE (Guatemala); the Coordinating Committee of Indigenous Women of Bolivia and the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (USA). The CIMI issued a statement pointing out that eventhough there has been progress in tenns of strengthening com· munication and women's participation in the organizations, there are still abuses against women like physical violence and basic rights , such as education. continue to be discriminatory.( ...) The statement also points out that: ..Neo-Hberal policies of the Latin American governments are he Executive Committee of the T Coordinating Body of Indigenous Women of South and Central America (CIMI) met in La Paz. Bolivia, from july 4·6 of 1994 in preparation for the General Assembly that will take place in Mexico in August of 1995. and for the Founh World Women's Conference of the United Nations in Beijing in 1995. The meeting in La Paz was hOS<ed by Centro de Discusion ldeologioo de Ia Mujer A)onara (COlMA) and attended by delegates from Guatemala, Panama. Mexico. Venezue]a. Nicamgua, Peru. Argentina and a representative from the Coodinadom de Mujeres lndigenas de Bolivia (CMI6). Background: In August of 1990. the Sabmi Women's organizations fron1 Norway organized an international Indigenous \-\'omen's Confe- rence. At that C\'Cnt, women representati\'es from aU coumrics in the American continent 34 were present and decided to ca11 a meeting to set up a network o£ Indigenous \'\bmen from Mexico. Central and South America. The First Encounter of Indigenous \\llmen from South and Central America took place in Uma, Peru. in March of 1991. At that meeting the Coordinating Body was fomted. This Encounter in 1...:'1 Paz was initiated with an Aymara·Quechua ceremony which is the \Va:..:t'a. offer to the Pachamama (mother can h). The committee affimted the following broad objcetives: l. Promote permanent communication between existing Indigenous wo1nen's organiutions in order to develop a network of solidarity at the national and international level. 2. Promote the exchange of cultural and organizational experiences between Indigenous women's organiz..1.tions. putting the Indian communities under more threats. Our territories and the Ecosystems will be more exploited and contaminated."( ...) Members of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Women are planning to travel to the Fourth \.Yorld ~'omen's Conference in Beijing to organize a Workshop on the issue of domestic violence. "il For mo~ infonnation you can contact: Sm. Maria Riquiac Morales Consejo de Organizacioncs Mayas de Guatemala - l'UNDASE 10 Calle 5-21 Zona 1 CHICHICAS Chirnaltenango . GUATEMAUI Telcfa., : 502-9-561018 Fany Avila Eleta Taller de Mt~eres Kuna Apartado 536. l>anama. Rep. de Panama Ph: 507-696525 Fa." 507·693514 You can also concaa SAIIC. N>ya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Strengthening the Network: Second Encounter of Indigenous Women from South, Central America and Mexico Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Strengthening the Network: Second Encounter of Indigenous Women from South, Central America and Mexico Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (34).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Abstract Note The Coordinating Body of Indigenous Women of South and Central America met in La Paz to affirm its objectives, which included the communication between indigenous women's organizations and the promotion of cultural exchanges. Pages 34 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1c3ac13050ce82ad5891c760e3dd9ff8.pdf dc2645edc9506def2a74f9110edb1f1d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (30-32).pdf PDF Text Text ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT The Convention on Biological Diversity: An Imperative for Indigenous Participation The Biodiversity Convention. one of the world's most important pieces of environmental legisla tion, will be finalized at the end of this year. Whether it will provide tools to defend Indigenous bio-cultural resources remains unclear. By Alejandro Argumedo A t the 1992 U.N. "Earth Summit" in Rio de janeiro, over 150 governments signed the International Convention on Biological Diversity (Biodiversity Convention), which , came into force last December after the required ratification by more than thirty national legislatures. After two-and-a-half years of negotiations, the Conference of Parties (COP) which was eStablished as the Convention's governing body will meet for the first time from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9 in the Bahamas to further define the treaty's implememmion. The Convention has yet to establish the scope and nature of Indigenous peoples' rights to their bio.cultural resources. Thus, this meeting will either help ascenain native rights, or function as yet another intema· tiona! mechanism to legitimate the theft of Indian resources. The Convention is the first global agreement committing signatory nations to comprehensive protection of Mother Earths biological giftS. Provisions stipu· lating specific commitment towards achieving this goal are covered in forty· two legally-binding articles. This legal instrument addresses issues of tremen· dous significance for the world's Indigenous peoples. Alejandro Argumcdo is Q11ec.hua from Peru, a SAIIC board member aru1 Dire<tor of Clllt11ral Survival Canada. 30 Biodiversity and Indigenous Land Up to the nineteenth century, Indigenous peoples exercised de facto control over most of the world's ecosystems. Today, only an estimated 12·19% of the earths land area is home to the four to five thousand Indigenous nations of the world. Even diminished to a mere fragment or what they were, our homelands constitute an important ponion or the globe's relatively intact ecosystems, and shelter an even larger share or its b iologi· cal diversity. ll is no coincidence that the habitats richest in natural diversity are usually home to Indigenous people as well . By some estimates, Indigenous homelands shelter more endangered plant and animal species than all the worldS ..namre reserves" combined. Through millennia we have depended on the diversity of lire around us: uncovering its secrets, and learning how to increase these riches, for example. when we create new genetic diversity within a species. We possess a knowledge that is not only innovative and cognizant of eco· logical processes and uses of biodiversity, but also uniquely holistic for its spiritual and ethical components. That is why the conservation of all components of biodiversity-genetic, species and ecosys· terns--is crucial for our survival as cultures of the land. For Indigenous peoples biodiversity means just that: the land . The recognition of inherent rights to our tra- ditional territories is the foundation both for our survival as peoples and for the conservation and sustainable use of biodi· versity and its components. ln this context the Biodiversity Convention could provide an imponam mechanism to pro· tect Indigenous Peoples' rights over bio· logical resources. The Convention: a Significant but Flawed Tool Disturbingly, there has been liule participation by Indigenous people in developing the Convention. As usual, we have been viewed as the objects (another endangered species) rather than subjects of the process. Most Indigenous people know little, if anything, about the Con· vemion. l'iowever, the treaty does recognize our contributions to biodiversity conservation. In addition, appreciation of our · use of the medicinal, agricultural, and other useful properties of endemic nora and fauna.. i.s increasing. Nonetheless. parties to the Convention are now meeting behind closed doors tO determine what rights we will have over our knowledge. innovations and practices, for which we currently lack any legal Instruments of protection . Bio· cultural pirates are currently plundering these resources \vithout prior infonned consent of Indigenous communities and organizations. Free access for free value is the common practice. For the first time, Abya Yala News �ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT provisions of the Biodiversity Convention may offer opportunities to effectively pro· teet rights to biocultural resources. With the increasing focus on Indigenous territories as reserves of genetic diversity for use in the food. agriculture, pharmaceutical, b iotechnology and other industries, Indigenous peoples presence in the ConventionS develop· ment is crucial. The Indigenous Peoples' Biodiversity Network (IPBN). a global coalition of Indigenous peoples' organizations formed to protect biocuhural resources, has been lobbying for Indigenous peoples' rights within the Convention. In order to promote greater Indigenous innuence within the treaty. the IPBN. SAIIC and the Abya Yala Fund, an Indigenous foundation that supports Indigenous-based sustainable development in the b .tin America, are jointly working to facility increased panicipation Potato crop d iversity developed atongside Andean cultures in the Altiplano region, where hundreds of varieties can be found in tocat markets. of Indigenous peoples from South and Meso America. We need to monitor. ana· lyze, and seek greater mmsparency and accountability from all panics, in addition to promoting policies that protect our local rights and inte rests. The Convention's value lies in the comminnent of signatory nations to work for a common cause. h also supports national sovereignty and each country$ right to benefit from its own biological resources. It funher specifies that each country should ha\re access rights to new technologies. including new biotechnologies. which could assist in conservation efforts or prove useful in the exploitation of biological resources. The Convention does not recognize Indigenous peoples' rights over their traditional tenitories and resources. But it does rc<:ognize the importance of our cultures' survival to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It also recogn.izes that first nations should share in the benefits deri"ed from their knowledge and innovations. Unfortunately, the ConventionS provisions leave it up to n..1tional governments to decide the scope and nature of Indigenous peoples' rights. Currently, few colonial nation-states recogVOl. 8 No.3 nize Indigenous land rights or rights to customary practices on the land (biodiversity). Inserting these adequately imo the treaty is a serious challenge for the signatory members of the Con"emion , and \viii be a tough figh t for the Indigenous peoples working within the process. The ConventionS existing mandates can be grouped into several broad categories. these are briefly summarized below. National Action Plans and Environmental Impact Assessments One of the Convention's central mandates is to ensure adequate planning and decision-making to protect biodhrersity at the national level. Each country will be Environmental Impact Assessments. This Article may provide Indigenous peoples with a forum-which they have often been lacking-for voicing opposition to senseless · mega-development" projects that affect their human and territorial rights, such as the COI\Struction of hydroelectric dams, highways. tourist resorts, tnining. oil exploration and exploitation, and logging. Protection In tem'ls of concrete protective mea· sures, the Convention has three require· mems: control sources of significant injury to biodiversity. establish systems of protection . protected mnural areas, develop and implement policies for in situ conserva· tion. Indigenous participation is critical Indigenous organizations should panici- both in designing protected areas and in pate in designing these plans because new managing them. First, because Indigenous communities often have extensive knowledge regarding the land· scapes at stake. Second to ensure that these actions are complimentary and required to formulate a national action plan for biodiversity policies will affect their communities the most. Implementation of these plans, is of course. another mancr. and Indigenous organizations will have to monitor this process as well. Secondly for all individual projects "likely to have significant adverse impacts on !biodiversity)" governments will be required to develop compatible \vith pre-existing Indigenous land rights, rather than-as we ha,rc seen in some previous cases-an auempl to clrcumvcm them. 31 �ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT The Convention specifically recommends the application of traditional knowledge and conservation practices. This is a very valuable recognition of Indigenous practices, Indigenous organizations will have to be proactive in the implementation, financing and monitoring or these mea- sures. Research and Indian Lands reliable biodiversity indicators than science. Monitoring the status of ecosystem and species can be done by Indigenous peoples along with scientists if the integrity, and rights to our knowledge is respected and protected. At the same time. parties to the Convention are supposed tO identify and monitor activities that are likely to have significant adverse impacts on biodiverslly. In In addition to protecting biodi\'ersity, the Convention is supposed to promote · sustainable use of biological resources through governmenllprivate sector cooper- ] ation. ln the past, such bilateral coopera- ':' tion has nearly always sidestepped ~ Indigenous panicipation (e.g. "Texaco & """ Ecuadorian Government Settlement" on pg. 4, eds.) The Convention continues to favor bilateral rather than multilateral agreements. Multilateral agreements are more favorable for Indigenous organiza- al action plan should include the following economic activities in their list of harmful processes reqltiring monitoring and mitigation: mining, oil exploration, agribusiness, commercial logging and cattle ranching. Financing The Convention mandates the industri· alized countries tO provide developing countries with new and additional funds to meet its implementation costs. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) ' vas chosen as the Convention's interim financing mechanism. The panies \viii select the per- manent mechanism at this meeting in Nov. and Dec. Institutional Structure And Intergovernmental process At the international level, panies to the Convention will meet regularly in a Conference of the Parties (COP). A tions: these are more transparent and Secretariat will provide administrative str· vices. An interim Secretarial has been estab· involve a range or concerned sectors who can act as our allies, support our rights, and lished in Geneva, $\vitzerland. In addition, a scientific and technological advisory committee will give technical assistance to the COP. At the COP. panies \viii report on compliance's and consider measures for strengthening the treaty. They 'viii also address, among other issues: a) administer- help to monitor the agreement. Indigenous peoples' organizations should consider multilateral agreements for decisions affecting biodiversity in their tenitories. Identification and Monitoring of Priorities and Problems ing the financing of arrangements under Parties to the Convention are required the treaty; b) seuing up a clearinghouse of infom1ation on teclu1olog>1 transfer and other areas; c) establishing cooperative pannerships on research. information sharing. and technology transfer. "!) to identify priority ecosystems. species, and genomes for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. These priority areas ";11 largely be congruent with Indigenous terri- tories. and Indigenous communities could benefit from research acti\;ties that help to ascertain territorial rights (e.g. ecosystem research). Since the Convention recognizes the merits of Indigenous knowledge in relation to biodiversity, Indigenous peoples should participate in this research as equals with \Vestem researchers. In addition to biodiversity identification. parties are required to monitor the sta- tus of their countryS biodiversity resources. Here. in particular, Indigenous knowledge has a critical role. In many instances. Indigenous knowledge can provide more 32 Chimane farmer shows just one of the several hundred different domesticated and semi·domesticated plant species he cultivates- a local variety of peanuts. many countries Indigenous organizations are the first to identify and denounce large- scale envirorunemal irnJXl.ClS (see for exam· pie Vol. 8: 1&2. Oil exploration in Peru, eds.). Panies should provide Indigenous groups \vith resources for in-depth and continuous monitoring ofhannf\1 activities 1 in their regions. In addition, every nation- For furt.ll<r infonnation 011 the B:odiwfSfO' Conwnllon and lndig<nQ\~ '-"'«$ p/c<U< """"" d-~ folfq,fr.g; M.s Angela Cropper, fx«uti\'t S«relary Col'l\'tndon on Biological Oi\·crsily IS Ootmindc$,~ncmortS CP 3S6CH·12I9 O.aU:laiu Ccllcva. SuiU:crlaltd Td: (i 1-22)979-9J 11 Fax: (41-22)979·2.512 Tht Abya Yala Fund P.O. Box 2&386 Oakland, CA, USA Td: (510) 834-4263 F<JX: (510) 834 -1264 Indigenous P(Oplt:S' 81odiver'$iry Nc:(w'Ori: 62(), l Nic.holas 5-l. Ouawa. Ontario, CanaM. KJN 787 Td: (613) 241 iSCOFax: (613) 241-2292 Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Convention on Biological Diversity: An Imperative for Indigenous Participation Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title The Convention on Biological Diversity: An Imperative for Indigenous Participation Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (30-32).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Author Alejandro Argumendo Abstract Note The UN Earth Summit in 1992 secured the agreement of over 150 governments to follow the Convention of Biological Diversity. With it coming into effect, a committee will meet to determine if indigenous communities will have rights to their bio-cultural resources under the convention. Beyond that, the convention provides many resources and protections to ecological regions. Pages 30-32 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/e43ef796c87828c35d76f61ee98fba98.pdf f92650a87e0f31b78bd9661801f029de Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (27-29).pdf PDF Text Text CHIAPAS UP Update on Chiapas D A T E --- A ugust 6 -9, the National Democratic Convention (CND). organized by th e EZLN in Aguascalientes. Chiapas, emerged as one of the most significant political gatherings in modern M exican history. Six thousand delegates from all over Mexico aLtended. The cemrnl theme was the .. transition to democracy.• Several local. regional and national Indigenous organizations partici· pated (see article below) . Most were not entirely satisfied with either the CND's structure or results. but have chosen to \ \· continue panicipating. October 8 . the Zapatista National Libenuion Aml)' broke off negotiations with the government , stating that the Salinas administration was not acting in good faith , and was preparing a military assault. The EZLN also claimed lO have mined the roads leading to their territory. October 10, peace mediator, Bishop Samuel Ruiz expressed ·grave· concern regarding the tensions in the state, and called on both sides to maintain the ceasefire and return to the negotiating table. October 12. the CND reconvened in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. With the support of thousands of local Indigenous supporters, the CND then symbolically and peacefully took over the town. The convention declared itself in permanent session. stating that a civil insurgency is necessary in order to topple the PRI from power. The CND also called for nation·wide mobilization on Nov. 5. to prevent President-elect Ernesto Zedillo from taking office. The EZLN has maintained a p resence in Chiapas's principal city, San Cristobal de las Casas: mini Zapatistas for sale. Six Principles for a New Mexican State he following an icle is based on a proposal titled "Six Principles and Six Proposals" wriuen by the Independent Indian Peoples From (FIPI) T Vol. 8 No.3 and the CommiLtee for the Support and Defense of Indian Rights (CADDIAC). After e xtensive consultations with Indigenous organizations, FIPI con- tributed this document to the working roundtables established at the National Democratic Convention. Although written for Mexico. the analysis could apply 27 �~~ I ~ P_A S ~ P~ ~T E --------------------------------------------C H~ A~ ~~ U~ D~A ~. to the other L.nin American states who · conceive themselves to be mestizo. I. An end to the " Mestizo-cratic" state In Mexico, ethnic homogeneity was considered a necessary precondition in the c remion of the nation·state, and in consolidation of a market cconotn)'· Indigenous peoples have therefore been subject to hostile policies. ranging from physical extennination to "'lndigenista .. strategies whose aim has been to assimilate us. As a result . we have not had. as Indigenous peoples. a dignified place in Mexican society. Not only has our right to exist as a collective entity been denied, bm also our rights as a peoples. Today. we continue living under a neocolonial oppression promoted by the State and perpetuated by mestizo people who ben- efil from this siluation . They, in turn, pr oblems we face, and thus must be mod· believe themselves to be the synthesis of iOed. It was modified in 1992 in a way the Mexican people, the embodiment of that was both limited and has not been the nation, and to have created a State in enforced. Additions to 1\nicle Four recogtheir image and likeness; that is to say, a nize the plurality of the M exican nation, "mestizo-cratic" State. Thus, by the light but this plurality i.s not rcnected in the of comemporary morality. the position of State, which should be structured in the 'Mexican State and the mestizo peo~ order to rcnect this fact. pies is illegitimate: both arc based upon This problem is compounded by the the displacement and the abrogation of fact that Indigenous rights arc located the rights of Indigenous peoples, and under Article Four. which guarantees upon excluding us from collective partic- individual freedoms, rather than within ipation in the nation and the state, which the constitution's principal anicles (ani· has bound us in a neocolonial relation· cles 39, 40, and 41, which have to do ship. with sovereignty and the fonns or go"ern· mem. and ankles 115 to 122, which II. Revise the constitution to eStablish the basis for our federal strucserve as the foundation for a wre). The location or our rights under new, democratic, mult iArticle Four signifies the go"ernmemS national, and popular state refusal to recognize our collective rights The constitution is a key source of the as distinct peoples. recognizing only our looking toward the National Oemocrc.tic Convention. 28 N>ya Yala News �CHIAPAS UPDATE affected the territorial rights of Ind igenous peoples. In many cases, the ejido continues to function in a destrucis a multiethnic nation as it is to recognize tive and assimilationist manner in that Mexico is a multinational state. This Indigenous territories. The new reforms is why the central project is to divest the to Article 27 constitute a fi nal blow constitution of its ..mestizo-cratic" cast. towards the dismemberment of Indigenous territories. the state and the Indigenous peoples: between the Ind igenous and nonIndigenous peoples: between the federation and the elements thereof: between the capital and the provinces: between the p rovinces and the Indigenous regions, etc. Ill. Building a new federalism on the basis of a new understanding of territory VI. A transitional government: towards a multinational state individual rights. This is a fundamental and significant difference, as il is not the same thing at all to recognize that Mexico The ideal of federalism -for which thousands o f citizens, Indigenous and non·1ndigenous, have struggled- has not been realized in our country. From the very beginnings of the Republic, the Mexican people agreed to constitute a federatio n: however, in prac tice our government has been centralist, subject to an overly powerful presidency and to the domination of 1he State by one party, leading in effect to a dictatorship. In order to ful fill the precepts o f fede ralism. it is necessary to redefine the notion that through federation we shall .. unify our diversity". Although t his is a valid concept. it does not acknowledge nor include the continued presence o f distinctive peoples within a federation. Thus indigenous peoples are left out of the fede ral structu re of our cou ntry. Some of the worst consequences o f this exclusion are found in the territorial reorganizations which decisively and negatively impacted the social organization of the original peoples of this land. From that moment to the present, Indigenous territories have been continuously divided. The federalist policies did not take into account the preexisting territories nor acknowledge them as a basis for a re-organization. Instead. they were deeply genocidal, placing Indigenous regions under the tutelage o f the H lndigenista"' ann or the government. Today the few remammg Indigenous territories face new threats. The land redistribution that took place throughout the country based o n an ejido concept of occupancy. instead o f on a communitarian basis. has greatly Vol. 8 No.3 IV. Democracy for Indigenous peoples: only within the context of a democratic nation justice \viii prevail for indigenous peoples only if there is democracy in the rest of the count!)< And democracy can exist only if governments are created that are respectful o f diversity and able to share power, not only 'vith different political parties but also with different ethnic groups. As Indigenous peoples we have often been d enied the vote and been prevented both from choosing our own legit· imate representatives as well as fr exerom cising our right to represent others. As Indigenous peoples, we add our voices to the national clamor for democracy. yet we add that no d emocracy \viii be a true detnocracy if it does not resolve the amidemocratic relationship between Indigenous people and the power of the state, as exemplified in our ability to participate and be represented in the structures of govcrnmem. V. Towards a new covenant between Mexicans The road towards democracy must necessarily take us through a process o f democratizing the relationships between Indians and non-Indians. It is u rgent that as Mexicans we re..1.ch a new national accord, a new social covenant that is based on a new ethic of tolerance and respect towards diversity and plurality that will allow us to live together in peace. But this pact c..1nnot rest only upon individual efforts or moral values; we believe that it must be affirmed by our Constitmion . The State must address this covenant by creating the foundation for a democratic relationship between the State itself and the Mexican people: between It is not possible in this day and age to defend an ethnocratic nation-state. As we seek to give power to the people, we are led to question the legitimacy of the mestizo population being the sole holders of that power. The need for a transilional government means that we need to create a new national model that is no longer an ethnocrntic nation-state, but instead a multi-national state. The creation of a truly multi-national state implies the acknowledgment of the free self-determination of Indigenous peoples, and the embodiment o f those rights through the cr eation of autonomous regions. Six Proposals Included within the six proposals are: !)the constitutional recognition of Ind igenous autonomy through the fo rmation of '"Autonomous Pluriethnic Regions": 2) an addition to Article 42 . and 3) to Article 43 o f a section guaranteeing the existence of the Autonomous Indigenous Regions: 4) refom>s 10 Article 11 5 10 acknowledge the Autonomous Indigenous Regions (referred to as Pluriethnic Regions) as fundamental elementS of the political and administrative struclUrc of the country: 5) modifications to Article 73 and 6) modifications to Articles 52. 53. 54. 55. and 56. which refer to political participation. in order to redraw electoral districts in Indigenous regions. In this way, a sixth d istrict will be drawn to provide for election of Indigenous congressmen and guarantee the presence of six Indigenous senators. '!I 29 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Six Principles for a New Mexican State Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Six Principles for a New Mexican State Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (27-29).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Abstract Note Indigenous communities in Mexico have called for a true democracy in Mexico and a multinational state. Pages 27-29 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/d2779d94038577c6a3986b38cdcbf569.pdf 0fdfe562d59356524ad976a324c6f950 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (27).pdf PDF Text Text CHIAPAS UP Update on Chiapas D A T E --- A ugust 6 -9, the National Democratic Convention (CND). organized by th e EZLN in Aguascalientes. Chiapas, emerged as one of the most significant political gatherings in modern M exican history. Six thousand delegates from all over Mexico aLtended. The cemrnl theme was the .. transition to democracy.• Several local. regional and national Indigenous organizations partici· pated (see article below) . Most were not entirely satisfied with either the CND's structure or results. but have chosen to \ \· continue panicipating. October 8 . the Zapatista National Libenuion Aml)' broke off negotiations with the government , stating that the Salinas administration was not acting in good faith , and was preparing a military assault. The EZLN also claimed lO have mined the roads leading to their territory. October 10, peace mediator, Bishop Samuel Ruiz expressed ·grave· concern regarding the tensions in the state, and called on both sides to maintain the ceasefire and return to the negotiating table. October 12. the CND reconvened in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. With the support of thousands of local Indigenous supporters, the CND then symbolically and peacefully took over the town. The convention declared itself in permanent session. stating that a civil insurgency is necessary in order to topple the PRI from power. The CND also called for nation·wide mobilization on Nov. 5. to prevent President-elect Ernesto Zedillo from taking office. The EZLN has maintained a p resence in Chiapas's principal city, San Cristobal de las Casas: mini Zapatistas for sale. Six Principles for a New Mexican State he following an icle is based on a proposal titled "Six Principles and Six Proposals" wriuen by the Independent Indian Peoples From (FIPI) T Vol. 8 No.3 and the CommiLtee for the Support and Defense of Indian Rights (CADDIAC). After e xtensive consultations with Indigenous organizations, FIPI con- tributed this document to the working roundtables established at the National Democratic Convention. Although written for Mexico. the analysis could apply 27 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Update on Chiapas Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Update on Chiapas Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (27).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Abstract Note Peace talks between the Mexican government and National Democratic Convention have broken down. Pages 27 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/50e3c1c96dff48baa2ab3d8a64934678.pdf 72d11d93be5b5fbc1d93984f7b70431e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (24-26).pdf PDF Text Text SELF DETERMIHA TIO H AHD TERRITORY Organizing from Oaxaca to California ,~~~4 Rufino Dominguez This October. SAIIC had the opportunity to interview Rufino Dominguez. Secretary General of the Organization of Exploited and Oppressed Peoples and Sub-coordinator of the Oaxacan Indigenous Binational Front at his office in Fresno. California. long with Chlap>S, the highland state of Oaxaca is one of Mexico~ most Indigenous regions. The Mixteco people arc one of the many Indigenous peoples living In OaxaC3; they have also Immigrated to the North in larger numbers than any other Indigenous people m Mextco. This exodus has been dnven by a number of factors common to many of Mextco~ lndtan groups. Although MIXleco communities have secured legal =ognnion for communal land titles that predate the Mexican re\·olution, there Is sullinsufficlent land to go around. As In Chiapas. local cadques have consolidated ownership over the best lands. At the same time, years of deforcsuuion has tronsformed much of the ter· United States. These mlgronts have often faced not only the exploitation commonly suffered by migrant fannworkers, but also discrimination for being Indian. The emergence and linking of Indian organizations throughout the p3th taken by this exodus is one of the maS> encouraging and intrigumg examples of cross-border orgamzing on the AmeriC3S. Rufino Dommguez grcw up in Oaxaca's Mixteco temtory. on the town of San Miguel Cue,,as or. Nu..Vucu. which means on top of the mount..'\tn in hls nati\'t language. He C3me to the US for the first time in 1964. Uke many Indigenous immigrants. he h>S conserved much of his community's culture. Indigenous Oaxacan immigrants In the US generally keep conritory into ncar desert conditions. \Vith tact with their communities at home. This insufficient land. and fewer opportunities is perhaps beS> exemplified by formation of for wage employment. a steady stream of the Indigenous O=C3n Binational Front Indigenous lmmtgrants have left to look simuluneously in O:lx.1ca, &ja C.lifornia for work elsewhere. Thousands went to and C.lifornta (U.S.). SAIIC had the work m the fields further Nonh, first in opponunhy to mterview Dominguez the S>ates of Stnaloa, Veracruz, the Federal regardmg hiS work wnh the Front in Oislnct. •nd Bop C.hfornta and later in Oaxaca and the Central Valley of agriculturalarus throughout the Western C.lifot1lla. A 14 Can you tell us about when the Mixtccos began to immigrate. and then later, to organize? -The firS> Ml><tecos beg<ln to immigrate in smaU numbers ln the 1960s. but it wasn't until the period known as "the braceros· in the 1980s when we S>aned immigrating as enurc famthes, and in large numbers. When we amved, we worked in the fields in Orcgon, V.'ashington and Alaska. We MtXtecos ha,-. mostly engaged in field work. The truth Is that we began to organize ourselves back in our communities [in OaxaC31. because there were so many injustices there and the authorities abused many of our people. The authorities then beg.'n to kill and threaten our leaders. burned several houses nnd all thnt. They also imprisoned many of our people. This was In 1981-83. Thus. we organized ourselves and it took us one ye-ar to rtmO\'t those authoriues from office. So those who came here already had expe.rie.nces in organizing at home in Oaxaca? Pbf• Yala News �SELF DETERMI N ATION AHO T ERRITORY ·Yes. but back m our communities. our organiza1ion dtdn't htwc a name. \Ve were was just n community committee. Then. I moved to Sinaloo after having won the battle with those people. My companions in Sinaloa had asked me to help organize an assembly. They thought h neccss..1ry to name the or ganization and continue figh ting. and that in this way. our actions could scr"'e the community in at home. What did you call the organization? -The Org.1no.z.1uon of Exploited and Oppressed People. That was the majorities' cho•ce. They ~•d that we are exploited by the econom•c Situation. and oppressed by the nch. What's the relationship between the Organization of Exploited and Oppressed Peoples ond the Indigenous Oaxacan Binational Front? -Well. the Front is an umbrella group or many org.1nizations. What ore it's objectives? -At the org.1n1zoUonollevel, our objecti\'t tS to mcorpor.uc all the lndigenous organtzations th:u agru wnh our princi· pies and our program of actiOn. And our objecu,·e IS to fight for JUStice for all the Indigenous communiues of Oaxacabecause we ha\'t learned that if we are organized. the go"ernments have to pay attention to us-;tnd ir we arc not, they pay no attention to us. Here In the U.S.. the f-ront is involved in labor organizing. in denouncing rocism against Indigenous people-not just o f white americans. bUl or other latinos as well-m denouncing Governor Wilsons anti·immigmnt attacks and in uniting ""'h other latmo org.1niz.1tior1S to oppose the raciSt ballot measures (in California$ Nov. elecuons). \Ve ~lso work v..fth our members to help them get citizenship and emer the country$ pohtical sysrem. Vol. 8 No. l \Ve The Organization ol Exploited and Oppressed Peoples: 500 years of Mixteco Resistance. have 15-20.000 members in California. \:Ve also suppon the From:S activism in Oaxaca b y pressuring the Mexican consulates here. There. the Front works for to get land. basic services in the communitics; for potable \VOter. clinics, electricity, schools. \Vc ha\·e also entered into agree. mcnts with the Federal and State governments to promote small busmesscs m the commumues. Indigenous peo plts throughout the continent have a 1cndcncy toward autonomy and self-d etermination. Do the Mixteco people have as1>irotions to govcn'l yourselves in thls way? -Of course. We all need common objectives. Its vital for us to struggle for autonomy-because unfortunately the Mixte:co communities are not currently autonomous. 1t's unportant to struggle for the autonomy of our community's customs because these are currently threatened ot their rootS. We heard that the Front's organizations met in Tijuana this past month, what happen<d there? -The meeting '""s for all Indigenous Oaxaquei"'os in exile. We met to change the organization's rtttrnc. because new members were entering who speak differ· em languages. llcforc. we were called the Zapoteco-Mixtcco Bmauonol Front. but it turned out that Oaxaca has more than 16 Indigenous peoples. Our brothers, the Triquis. Mcxes and Others groups who had asked to, JOmed the Front. We now include f\\'e lnd•genous peoples, and renamed the orgamz.1uon the lnd•genous Oaxacan B•nauonal Front. We also decided at the meeung to continue the camp.1ign ng.•inst [Go,·emor) Wilsons rocism. reformed our basic anides. named new officers and established c:ornmiuees or coordination ror each region. However. before the meeting, which took place on Sept. 3, the PAN (the right -of-center Nauonal Acuon Party) governor Ernesto Rufo repressed a march or ours which was commg from S.1n Quintin to Mexicali. They were demandmg th." wages be mcrcascd to a JUst le"el. dignified housmg. rural chmcs ond the introducuon of potable water to San Quintin. 25 �SE L F DETERMINATIO N AND And the government's response? ·Seveml protestors were imprisoned; more than 32 comrades went to jaiL TERRI T ORY The National Solidarity Program paid campesinos so that they would vote for the PRL But, we know that this won't bring us out of the misery. This only happens during the elections. There was also lotS of bad information-tnany attempts to discredit the opposition panics. Are there any parties w hose platforms include Indigenous peoples' rights to a dignified li fe, to autonomy and selfdetermination? -They do it in a very panial, Rufino Dominguez (center) Signing agreements intellectual and campesino form. of mutual respect with the UFW. We don\ believe it should be this way. Rather, they should Thirty were wounded. This was an awful include us, as the Indigenous activists, to response from the government: neverthe- give our point of view regarding our less. we were not deterred. We returned autonomy, and what we really want . to regroup and the government accepted negotiations. Two days later. the govern- ls this campesino (or peasant oriented) ment met all our demands except that for approach a result of the first Zapatista a higher minimum wage. which. they revolution, the revolution of 1917? -The (revolutions o0 1910 and 1917 claimed was under the federal governments jurisdiction. Thanks to the interna- had no effect in the Indigenous commutional community'S intervention. we also nities. I say this because we have seen won release of all our prisoners. no changes. To the contrary. there was (Many thanks to all those who wrote more racism and discrimination toward letters in support or the imprisoned pro- the Indigenous people. We are finally testors, your leuers were critical in secur- seeing change now, with the uprising by ing their safe release. eds.l the Zapatista National Liberation Army in Chiapas. They have provoked a You have said that the PAN d id this in change at the national level. Now there Baja California, but doesn't the PRJ do is talk of autonomy for the Indigenous the same in Oaxaca? peoples, there is talk o f education, peo-Actually. the Pany has never taken ple are talking-but these are demands that altitude toward the Front. that I doubt the government with comply with. Definitely, the previous revoluSo, w hat do you think of the PR!? tions did not benefit the Indigenous - 1 totally repudiate that pany. It has communities. done nothing to bring the Indigenous communitie-s out of their misery. It isn't Do you thin k that the Zapatista posicapable of curing a single Indigenous tions go beyond a merely a campesinista child. 1 don't see the PRI as an option for position? Mexico. Speaking of the last election, I -Definitely, they are very much in know the PRIS tactics in the rural areas. agreeme-nt with the Indigenous struggles and they arc cxpen in maintaining power objectives, because they truly take into because they have a giant lpoliticall account Indigenous peopleS necessities. machine. There was lots of manipulation No other political pany has taken this and lots or money exchanged for votes. position. Their platfornt of anned struggle 26 includes the necessities of the Indigenous peoples. W hat about conditions here in California? Have things gotten any better? -No there have been no changes. The farmworker continues to be exploited. They are not paid minimum wage. They work many hours without the right to rest 10 minutes. Women are sexually abused. The contractors and landowners rush the workers to do more than than human beings are capable of. ls the Front affiliated with any union? We're not affiliated.just one year ago. we signed an agreement of respect with Cesar Chavez's United Fannworkers of America. This is, however, nOthing more than an agreement of respect and cooperation. How do )'OU see Indigenous unity in Mexico and at the continental level? Has there been progress in these last few years in organization. communication and solidariry? -At the organizational level. I believe we still have a lot to do in Mexico. There are a great number of Indigenous organizations, and we haven't united. It's the same at the continental level . We need to get better organized, to strengthen the coordination between the Indigenous organizations if that~ possible. Even though it's tme that we have some organi~ zations that arc already very well connect· ed, still we have a lot to do. In relation to communication, only the most important organizations have good communica· tions, and the others have nothing. With SAilC 1 have seen that there is more communication, not juSI. at the continental level, but worldwide. And l think that is where we should focus ourselves. Our objective is to strengthen this communication at the cominemal and global level between all the organizations...., For Mort informacion, comaa: Frentc ind1gtrta Binacional P.O. Box 183, Uvingswn, CA 95334 Ttl: (209) 577·3077 Fax: (209) 577·1098 Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Organizing from Oaxaca to California: Interview with Rufino Dominguez Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Organizing from Oaxaca to California: Interview with Rufino Dominguez Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (24-26).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Author Rufino Dominguez Abstract Note Rufino Dominguez discusses the Organization of Exploited and Oppressed Peoples and its origins in Oaxaca and its role in fighting for indigenous rights in Baja California. Pages 24-26 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/e1f1a0a17e69558cb9d08a4f5872b25d.pdf 9ea16378265f605c29138dcb26e836ad Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (22-23).pdf PDF Text Text SELF DETERMI~ATIO~ A~D T ERRITORY Original Nations and Bi Iateral agreements with the Bolivian Government Governments and corporations across Latin America are turning to limited two-party agreements as a means to resolve conflicts with increasingly forceful Indigenous orga· nizations. As experiences in Bolivia demonstrate, this "bilateralism · offers certain gains. but in the process challenges the Indian movement's unity and strength. his year. SAIIC received reports from Bolivia pointing out parallels between several connicts that were settled through bilateral agreemems T Guarani were Hving under conditions of virtual slavery on the cattle ranches of the Gran Chaco. Among those cattle ranchers between Indigenous organizations and the government. h> large pan. these are driven by the new assertiveness of rently practice debt·peonage are several politicians of the the governing MNR party and of the opposition righHving Bolh;a's' National Secretary for Ethnic Affairs, which has take11 a leadership role in brokering such agreements. The three pany. This year, a congressional investigation launched by Guarani congressman Sihri.o Arnmayo and others in Bolivia's who have stolen Guarani lands and cur· cases below offer some interesting exam- house of deputies found that the earlier ples from three very different regions. estimate was extremely conservative, and Guarani: Debt-peonage and Bilateral Commissions that the actual number of Guarani living in debt-peonage is closer to 40,000. The Guarani successfully mobilized on the heels of this publicity. Their Since our report on the Guarani of Mato Grasso do Sol, Brazil, in the last journal. the political conditions for the Guarani lh;ng on the Bolivian side of their territory have improved slightly. Within Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina, the Guarani, remain one of the most tragic examples or systematic racial discrimination in the Americas: living as landless peasants \vithin systems of debt-peonage. Suffering from poverty and repression, \vith a territory that is fragmented by the borders of four nation states, they have been unable to regroup and make their demands as a unified people. Last year, national attention in Bolivia focused for a brief moment on the Guara11i after press accoums that 10,000 22 largest organization. the Guarani Peoples Assembly, threatened to march on the capital if the government of Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada and Aymara Vice-President Cardenas did not respond to their demands of free· dom for all enslaved workers and the return of ancestral territories. The government invited Guarani representa· tives to negotiate. and the march was deferred . Three bilateral commission s com· posed of government representatives and Guarani delegates were formed as a result of this dialogue. Each a imed at solving one of the Guarani$ key problems: land, labor, and political participation. Guarani delegates Guido Chumiray. Envin Cuellar and Marcelino Robles signed the prelirni· nary agreement with representatives from the governmentS two ..supcr·mlnistries'" o, Human Development and Sustainable Development, as well as those of minor ministries such as Ethnic Affairs. Guido Chumiray, stated: · when we implement the agreement to solve the concrete problems of land and labor, the Guarani people 'viii hopefully regain territories and labor rights that belong to us. This is a not a favor given to us by the government. It is our right. V..1e deserve it... Indigenous Organizations Sign with Loggers in the Beni Deforestation continues to spread across the Bolivian Amazon-at the rate of 80,000 hectares last year alone. In the northern Amazonian province of Beni, Indigenous organizations will finally expel three logging companies from the Multi-ethnic Indian Territory (TIM) \vith· in the Chimanes Forest region which stretches from the Andean foothills to the Beni's extensive savannahs. Mojer"to, Movima. Yurncare and Chimane communities won a de jure entitlement to ..sustainably manage· this region in 1991. This summer. the regions Indigenous federation, the Cemral de Pueblos lndigenas del Bcni (CP16). representing the region's M:t-{a Yala News �------------------------'S E.!: f~D E T E R M I NAT I 0 !.!:. L.! ~ Indigenous communmes signed an "upgrading of their habitat." Under the agreement with the Herve!. C IMAGRO, agreement, a study will be carried out of and Montegrande. logging companies the ecological collapse affecting the Uru which will force companies to abandon Nation and potential for governmental the TIM by july, 1995. Paradoxically, Mr. assistance to help them survive under bet· Roberto Velasco. a caHle rancher and ter conditions. This agreement will also owner of Herve! reported!)' presented consider programs for land distribution Traditional Uru-Murato the agreement to be signed by CPIB. programs. with the Secretary of Ethnic Affairs act- authorities also requested the liberation of ing as b roker. The companies and com- Uru Indians Paulino Flores. Rogclio munities have been in a-at times Choque, Anacleto Garcia. Angelica Flores armed-stand-off for years. Since title de Garcia and Justina Opida who have was granted to the Indigenous commu~ been accused of '"environmental vandalnitics. logging companies have post~ ism• for hunting namingos that nock on poned the date of their departure from lakes within their territory. Sadly, it seems the TIM se'•eral times. Although calling easier to find Indians guilty of "environfor ren'IO\ral of the companies, the agree- mental vandalism.. 1han to arrest loggers ment is in effect, yet one more postpone- whose blatantly illegal destruction of the ment-and one which will allow the Chimanes Forest goes far beyond mere companies to extract all the remaining vandalism. valuable woods (mahogany in particular) Each of these bilateral agreements won from accesiblc areas. small advances for Indigenous communiCPIB President, Marcial Fabricano. ties. as a whole. however; the)' may have noted. ·we have to deal \\oth clandestine functioned to undermine the strength of a loggers and chain-sawers who intimidate coordinated Indigenous movement. us with guns. This is one of the problems Unfortunately, the movement has been faced by our communities." He added unable to establish a position of bargainthat, "V../e are also now insisting in the ing power which would allow il to press recognition of our traditional authorities, for their acknowledgement would mean that the Bolivian nation indeed is a full democraC)~,. Fabricano. however. remains skeptical. In 1990 CPIB led the "March for Territory and Dignity" from the Beni to La Paz. This was positively received, and achieved many governmental commit· mems. including establishment of the TIM. None of these, however, had any enforcement power. N AN D TERRIT0 RY for "Territory and Dignity" for all Indigenous peoples. The governments new Secretary of Ethnic Affairs has contributed to this weakness. in ilS attempt to act as sole broker between Indigenous organizations and the government. Bolivian anthropologists have often followed the govemmems lead and contributed to establishing isolation rather than coordination. Finally, there is " 1despread disapointment within the lndigenous movement \vith the performance of the Vice-president Victor Hugo Cardenas. His candida~ cy with the l<atarista pany raised expecta· tions as he is the first Aymara Indian to reach such a high governmental post. He has, however. used his power to little or no effect since taking office. A handful of Aymara Kataristas have been appointed to govemment posts. Unfortunately. these few have made a series of raciSt staternents against non·lndians which are of grave concern to the Indigenous move· ment. Although the vast majority in the movement do not share in these opinions, they already arc suffering from the backlash they have generated. ~ Government and Uru Sign agreement to Improve their Habitat The Bolivian government recently signed a bilateral agreement with the highland Uru Nation. of whom scarcely 2,000 remain . This agreement addresses the need to assist the Uru Nation in lhe 1101.8 No.3 Logging companies have postponed departure from the Multi-ethnic Indigenous Territory tong enough to remove thousands of giant mahogany trees like those pictured above. 23 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Original Nations and Bilateral Agreements with the Bolivian Government Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Original Nations and Bilateral Agreements with the Bolivian Government Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (22-23).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Abstract Note Bilateral agreements between the Bolivian government and powerful indigenous groups have led to an improvement in cooperation and relations. This has led to the better communication in political participation, the expulsion of logging companies from native land, and government-sponsored habitat improvement. Pages 22-23 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1b9c6f8d88943c4e622c698ab61d8e4f.pdf 9ab47a1fbdf06818f8f20ce07bbe0470 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (19-21).pdf PDF Text Text SE L F DETERM I NAT I ON AND T E R RI T O RY Ecuador: Second Indigenous Uprising Secures Concessions on Agrarian Reform by Robert A ndoUna bill through congress. Over the objections of CONAIE and other popular organizaEcuadorian Indigenous move- tions. President Sixto Dulin Ballen signed mentS capacity to mobilize tnasses of the bill into law on june 13. supponers to defend the interests of this Indigenous organizations rejected country$ Indigenous population . In a numerous aspects of this law that either mobilization reminiscent of the landmark ignored or threatened interests or uprising in 1990, Indigenous org:mizations Indigenous agricuhurnl communities, as nationwide blocked the country$ roads and well as those of 90% of the rural populahighways. in order to prevent implementa· tion. The law would have encouraged the tion of a new ..Law for Agricultural disappearance o£ Indigenous communal Development" enacted by the government lands in order to promote fom>ation of agrias p.tn of its structural adjustment pro- cultural "enterprises." Rodrigo Carrillo, gram. For a tw<Hveek period, commerce member of the press conunission for the throughout Ecuador ground practically to a Indigenous Movement of Chimborazo halt. As with the uprising four years ago. (MICH) explained, "You cannot simply Indigenous organizations paralyzed much conven Indigenous communal production of the country, endured military repression, imo agricultural businesses. This law forcing the government into negotiations, imposes a vision of agriculture that doesn' and finally emerging with significant gov- fit within Indigenous thought and practice: Indigenous organizations were outraged ernmental concessions in hand. Over 3,500 Indigenous communities as not only by the law~ content but by the well as campesino and popular organiza- undemocratic and unconStitutional me.th· tions mobilized under the leadership of the ods used by the Social Christian Pany to Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities railroad it through congress. The National of Ecuador (CONAIE) the National Agrarian Commission (CAN), formed by Ecuadorian Federation of Camj)<Sino and CONAIE and other Indigenous peasant Indigenous Organizations (FENOC-1}, and organizations, had drafted (over a period of the Evangelical Federation of Indigenous two years) a detailed proposal for refom> of Ecuadorians (EFIE). Over the course of two the nations agrarian laws and had submitweeks. at least five Indigenous acth;Sts ted it to the legislature for consideration. were killed and many more were hospital- The President and the legislature completeized, mostly from gun shot wounds. An ly ignored this project. unknown number were jailed. In addition, the PSC failed to submit the Panies from throughout the political proposed law to each member of congress spectrum have debated refonn of the coun- for consideration at least 15 da)'S prior to try$ outdated agrarian ktws for years. On passage, as required by law. CONAIE criti· May 18. the conservative Social Christian cized the politicians for disobeying the funPany (PSC) forced a radically new agrarian damental laws of the land, for excluding the intereSts and participation of Indigenous Robert Andolina is a grad1uzte student in Latin people in the development of the law. and American Studies al the University ofTtx(IS, and for their refusal to develop a law of nationha.s volunt«r<d , ;ch CONAIE in Quiro. al consensus instead of one that serves the T his june, international observers were once again stunned by the Vol. 8 No.3 interests of a small, wealthy sector of the population. For all of these reasons. CONAIE convened an emergency assembly on June 7 and 8 to prepare for a national "Mo,;lizaci6n por Ia Vida" (Mobilization for Life) to protest the law iJ il \vere to go into effect. CONAIE released a resolution calling for repeal of the Agrarian Development law. The resolution addressed other issues, to Stop unrestrained oil exploration and persecution of Indigenous leaders among other demands. Fundamentally, however, the mobilization was called to protest the PSCs Agrarian La'v. Ecuador Paralyzed On june 13, President Dur.ln signed the Agrarian bill into law. Indigenous protes· tors converged on strategic points, building roadblocks that paralyzed much of the country Demonstrations in urban areas and occupations of public buildings also took place. Ten provinces in all 'vere heavily affected. Despite the government and mass mediaS distonion of events. protestors remained firm in the Streets and the blockades were very effective. Albeno Saeteros, Secretary of the Provincial Union of Cooperatives and Indigenous Communities of Cat,ar (UPCCC) Stated, "Here in Cai\ar we met \vith the people in the communities to explain to them the negative effects or the law, and we then wem out to paralyze traffic to the nonh, south, and west." Ignacio Grefa, President of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Napo (FOIN) reponed. "We maintained the roadblock for a week -nothing got through." Non-Indigenous campesinos, workers and some urban citizens expressed consid· erable sotidarit)' for the mobilization and 19 �5 ELF 0 E TERM I ~ A T I 0 ~ A~ D TERR I T 0 R Y- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Indigenous Community Center Destroyed uring the "Mobiliuuion for Life," a major community center belonging to the Union of Cooperatives and Indigenous Communities of CaMr Province (UPCCC) was a{{acked and burned to the ground. The UPCCC is Canars regional Indigenous organization and is affiliated with CONAIE. The D following are excerpts from an interview 'vith UPCCC Se<:retary General Albeno S.-u~teros. Why did the auack take p lace? Who kets. nor poisoned the water like they damages, and was involved? claimed. The attack itself was very violent. They came with pistols. homemade cannons, and tear gas. One of our activists, that the government offer compensation . Have you received 3 tl)' financial -As you know. we participated fully in the mobilization called by CONAIE in opposition to the recently passed Agrarian Oevelopmem law. This law was not only illegal, but also threatened the interests of Indigenous people. We cut the area off by blocking the main highways. Because we were winning in the struggle. the followers o f Jaime Nebot and the PSC (Social Christian Pany) decided in desperation to a"ack us. It wasn't just because of the mobilization, but also because of our alternative market which cut the '"'middleman" out of the sale of our products. We were. therefore, competing 'vith the Manuel Mestas Yupa Yupa died from a bullet wound to the head . We also had 38 injuries and a number of disappearances. Many poople are still unaccount· ed for. The community center was sacked and burned. What d id the police and military do during the auack? ·They did a lmost nothing to prevent or inhibit the attack. Moreover, the military shut down our radio station which made it difficult for us to communicate speculators living in the area, many of with the people. to tell them what was whom are Nebot supporters. happening. Indigenous leaders have Additionally. we were a{{acked because of long-standing racism against Indigenous people. been pursued and in some cases jailed. Right now we are conducting investigations into the action or the police and )'OU have demanded help from the state? -No. We haven't received a cent. And from other sources? -A little. Some popular sectors have offered assistance both in terms of money and labor to help us rebuild . \¥e have a couple of new machines in the carpentry center, and we should have a new FAX machine soon. But as you can see, this is a very small part of the rebuilding that needs to be done. For thi.s reason. we are calling on our allies and sympathizers here in Ecuador and in the international community to show their solidarity by sending us financial suppon so that we can rebuild our office and community center. Many people here ' viii benefit if we can rebuild. mili1ary during the a{{ack and during What happe ned during t he auac k itself? -The a{{ack was carefully orchestrated by a relatively small group of people; the general population was not against us, nor were we against them. This small group told all sons of lies in order to make us look bad and to justify what they did. We never auacked the mar- 20 the mobilization as a whole. What was damaged during the auack? -Everything. Nothing was left untouched. The damage t<xal has exceeded 10 billion sucres ($5 million). U PCCC h as argued that the govern- ment is in part responsible for Lhc Do you have any final comments? This attack was motivated by a desire on our enemies pan to break the will of the Indigenous leadership and the movement here in Cat'lar. Although our office is destroyed. our determination is not. 'J!le will continue with our struggle. In fact, we are more determined and unified than ever. ~aYala News �SELF offered their suppon. Ldt and center-left political panies demanded the Agrarian law be revoked. Hector Villamil. President of the Organiz.11ion of Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza (OI'IP) noted , "Some campesinos and workers mobilized with us. We see this as a positive and significant change. ln the 1992 OPIP March on Quito many campesino-colonists reacted against us." According to Rodrigo Carrillo of MICH. · tn general, the people of Riobamba (capital of Chimborazo province) understood the imponant role of Indigenous producers in the supply of staple foods and offered us help during the mobilization." DETERMINATION Security forces also threatened or shut down Indigenous and popular radio sta· tions in Tungurahua. Cotopaxi, Chimbcr razo. and Cat)ar. making it difficult for activists to transmit news tO the population at large regarding human rights violations and violence perpetrated by the military and para-military forces. Fortunately, the military was more restrained in some regions. Hector Villamil , president of OPIP. reponed, · we in Pastaza are lucky not to have experienced repression this time. Before, we considered the military and police to be enemies, so we see this as a TERRITORY include two representatives of lndigenouslpeasant organizations on its executive council. Ownership of water will remain public, and more emphasis 'viii be gi\'en to production of food for internal consumption to meet the needs of Ecuadorian soci· ety. It also recognizes Indigenous agricultural knowledge, and respects the cultural and social valt~es of the ,,.rious peoples who are involved in agricuhural activities. lmponantly, the reformed law also calls for continuation and improvement of the agrarian refom1, including land distribution. as well as increased access 10 credit, good sign. However, we technical assistance. and better infrastruc.. denounce the repression that took place in other provinces. and for that we remain suspicious of the anncd forces... M ilitary Counter-Mobilization A week after the tnobilization began. President Durftn offered to negotiate. CONAIE. however. found the presidents Commission For Dialogue mediation commission wlacceptable. stat- Formed ing that its representation was heavily CONAIE leaders in hiding called for an weighted in favor of the govcmmem and end to the militarization and organized a the landowners. mediation commission composed of The following day, President Duran national and international religious and declared a military "State of Mobilization," human rights representatives. Under conand decreed that blockaders would receive siderable national and intemational pres· one to three year jail tem\s. Arrest warrants sure, the president agreed to lift the state of were issued for Indigenous lc.~ders, includ- mobilization and agreed to a compromise ing the CONAIE leadership. Highways and on the committees formation. Congress Indigenous communities were occupied by also pledged to revise the agricultural law. the security forees. Although protestors Negotiations began on june 30 and contin· abandoned highways peacefully when the ued into mid-July. military arrived, several were killed and dozens or possibly hundreds were injured. The Struggle's Results: Words or Police sa,,.gely beat protestors, includ- Substance? ing children. in the provinces of Cotopaxi The negotiations, like all those where and Chimborazo. In what was perhaps the actors with vastly different interests take MobilizationS worst moment, a mob of pan, were tonuously difficult. Perhaps in Social Christian Pany supponers attacked an effon to save face. President Duran. on and destro)•ed the office and community the one hand hailed the dialogue as a succenter of the UPCCC in Cat ar. The com· cess. while also stating that only words but ) munitycemerserved tosuppon alternative not substance had changed. However, it is fomt of education. commerce and medicine the nature of law.making that words are more suited to the needs of Cm)ar's substance. The refom1ed law-which wem Indigenous and poor peoples. One into effect on Aug. 3-did include real Indigenous activist was killed and thiny- improvements for lndigneous peoples, eight injured in the auack. which also camfJtSinos and Ecuadorian society in gen. reduced a market , carpentry center. library. eral. It will penn it the maintenance of comcomputer center. radio station. fax and munitarian. cooperative. and small-holder photocopy machines. and several \'Chides fonns of agrarian organization. The new to ashes (see accompanying intel"'ocw). state agrarian development agency 'viii Vol. 8 No.3 AND ture. It demands the protection of national parks and reserves, and recognizes Indigenous peoples' rightS to live from and manage forests. Finally. the law calls for the fomlation of markets tltat pennit indige· nous a.nd peasant prod\1 cers to cut out speculati'" middlemen. Indigenous peoples gains in this mobi· lization go beyond these legal refom\S. Again, the movement demonstrated its strength. This time, Indigenous people sat f~ce to f~ce at the bargaining table \vith those who used to be their "patrons" (land· lords). As described by Rodrigo Carrillo of MlCH, "The government now knows that it has to include the interests and panicipa· tion of Indigenous people in the future. We arc now recognized as thinking human beings 'vith rights, not as lazy animals." Ignacio Grefa commented on the process, ..V.le have won new political space and have fonified the space we earned in the 1990 uprising. In that sense this is just a contin· uation or that mobilization and of our struggle for the past 500 years. This struggle 'viii continue in the future." '!I For adclirfonal infonnalion: UPCCC. Correo Centro! CMar. Ca!'lar, Ecuador Fa.x: (593 7) 235 266 To contriblltCIO lite n:buildir;g of llu: UPCCC com· munizy ctntcr . plwsc saul Cashier's Ot«hs ma.cle our to UPCCC, to: CO:-IAIEAv. de Los Gmnados 2553 y 6 de Didembrec.stlb 1717·1235EI 8.11:m. Quito Ecuador. Specify on the chedc that it is for UPCCC. 21 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Second Indigenous Uprising Secures Concessions on Agrarian Reform (Ecuador) Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Second Indigenous Uprising Secures Concessions on Agrarian Reform (Ecuador) Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (19-21).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Author Robert Andolina Abstract Note Indigenous people in Ecuador made their political power heard when they effectively protested the passing of an agrarian reform law that threatened indigenous land and forced the president to the negotiation table. Pages 19-21 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/6d0eeccf3dc69cd423ed903f2ef9fb3c.pdf 464e16415b5a9e5233b2239593033956 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, no. 3 (16-18).pdf PDF Text Text I H T E R H A T I 0 H A L ~_ _ _ _ __ Barbados Ill: On Democracy and Diversity We ptint below excerpts from the third declaration by the Barbados group of social scientists. The Barbados I declaration was an early and extremely Influential document written by an intematlonal group of academics In support of Indigenous people 's struggles. It is accompanied by an introduction by Stefano Varese. one of the group's founding members.' n 1971, on the Isle of &rbados. a Six )'<31'S !:Iter, an 1977, the group met by Abya Yala Press m Quuo) auempt to group of L:mn Amencan anthropolo- again an Barbados. thas ume accompanied clarify some of these problems and conIJlStS met under the auspices or the by a matehang number of Indigenous tribute to the construction of a more just vn"·erstt)' of Zunch, Swuzerland. and the leaders and antelltctuals. By this time, the and dtgniOed future for the Indigenous World Councal of Churches. The meeting Latin American pohtical context had suf. people. took place at a time when the expansion fered a radacal change. The national polit· of development in Amazonian Indigenous ical projects for rcfom1 In Chile, Peru, Barbados Ill Declaration: territories was escalating and when Bolh•ia and Panama had been defeated Articulation of Diversity dependent capitolism's modernization and the most violent forms of State More than two d ecades after our forst project met wilh strong resistance from repression and terrorism had been insti· declaration ( 197 1). the members of the the Indigenous and peasont peoples o f the tuted in a great number of coumries in Barbados Group gathered in Rio de Andes and Meso-America. the region. An armed revolutionary strug· janeiro. Bmzil. to rcOcct on the situation Simplistic political interpretations gle seemed a real possibihty to many of of the lndagenous peoples in Latin which employed an analytical framewo rk the continental Indigenous mO\'Cments. America and to document the persistence overly concerned wath economic issues The &rbados II Decl>rauon reOected this of secular forms of dommation and had the reahty of ethnic conflicts during new reahty. Unfonun:uely us impact on exploitation that affect them. The develthat neocolomal penod. LeftiStS argued nauonal SOCICUes and the organized opment of new forms or colonization th.'i only the tnumph of a socialist revo- lndtgenous mo\'emtnt was not of the ha\·e aggra\'ated th1s SHU3uon. \Ve arc lution would soh·c the problems which same magnnude as the previous one. witnesses 1n each of our countries to the 1ndagenous groups faced. Finall)•. In December 1993. the repeated Y10l3ll0n5 of thetr right tO life, The &rb:ldos I Declaration which Barbados Group met agaan m Rio de their dignity, and to the cultural a.nd resulted from that meeting. and the long Janeiro, 8raztl, tOasses the situation of the human uni,·ersc of their local expressions. book documenung it, had strong reper· Indigenous populations in the context of At the same time we connrm the cussions among ::tcademics, the indigenist the sudden anack of Nco· Liberalism and Indian peoples' will to resist and to live. sectors of the State bureaucracies. renewed fonns of Nco-Imperialism. The expressed through the multiplicotion or Catholic and Protcsumt missionaries, and. new conditions facing the 1ndigcnous their ethno-politlcal organizations, and or most of all. among org.1nized Indigenous movement m the end of the second mil- the daily afr.nnation of cultural speciOcigroups. Barbados I took on a life of its lennium include the collapse of the ties that manifest the resilience of their own among some Indian organizations in socialist "utopia." the veniginous expan· civili.z:ations. Latin Amenca. who adopted it and used it sion of drug trJfficking. the involvement The above stated. together with as an anstrument or struggle. of the Unated States in the promotion and lndigneous peoplrs' demographic - - - repressaon of drug traffickang. and the rise growth. defies the current proJCCI of glob· Sttftl110 \llrnt Is Prc{tsSC< of Nali•'< Ameritml and urgency of envaronmental issues. alization. whach leads us towards a worldand Chila"" Stud~ at lht University of The Barbados lll Declaration. a.nd the \\ide homogemzouon that as enforced by book that attompanaes it (to be published the expansJon of and dominauon by a CalifMil4'" ~ll I 16 �IHT £ RHATIOH A L western-oriented integrationist market system, whose technical, economic and Ideological projects recewe multi-national flnoncing. The umlonnuy bemg pursued has genemted profound political, economic and social asymmetry, C\'eO in the dominant countries. The individualist and competitive Neo-Liberal discourse masks the real make-up or the growing inequality and or the conOict between nauons. ethnic groups, classes and other soc1al groups. creaung an illusory equality, when in reality it confronts nation against nation, people agninst people, community against community. This is contmry to the spirit or solidarity of communities which is mor.: conducive to human kinship. A world without alternate communities, wuhout differentiated social groups, would be a world condemned to a lack ol creativity and fraternal loyolti<s. Just as for centuries each ethnic group was forced to integmtc and incorporate itself into the ineffable vtnues of an illdefined national life. the same compulsive proposition is currently made to latin American countries. wtth the intent of cementing their imegrauon nod incorpora~ tion into a planetary order controlled by a type or transnational oligopoly. Simultaneously. the scientific knowl· edge brought by ecology. together with the well-founded warnings or environmentahsm. ha,·e been mtsmterpre<ed and redefined by a tendency Wlthm this social movement. It seeks to impose the theory or the global management of natural resources but h ignores or minimizes the vernacular 'visdom and knowledge. considering them incapable or creating a global environmental solution. Howe,·er. th1s knowledge constitutes the social bases that maintain the bases or biodiversity m the world. Today. the forces that dominate the regions with the grMtest biodiversity have grown. Territories that were before the exclusive lands of Indigenous peoples \<ol8 No.3 have been opened to colonizing expansion Wlth the purpose of expropriating the trop1cal regions' enonnous natural reserves hke oil. minerals, umber and hydroelectric sources. This distonang tendency presents obstacles to the alliance of the diverse human coznmunilics that defend the ownership and usage of the natural resources under a socio-environ· rnentahst current. which constitutes one of the most accurate and cffcc:dve criti· CISmS of the Neo-liberal premistS of unlimited growth. V...'e observe the existence of processes istic. united. nnd complementarily-articulaced societies. The fragile Latin American Democmctes, still monopohzed by the inttreslS of conservati\'e sectors who in their majority descend Irom old European and colonial elites. have failed to generate the political spaces or legislative and admlnistmtive mechanisms necessary to allow Indigenous people to progress in butldmg their own future. ln pantcular. mihtary 1deologies which frequently degenemtc into geo-political paranoia, see Indigenous societies as potentially subfor ethnic reaffirmation. conducive not versive groups which threaten national only to cultuml reproduction but also to unity, mther than as different peoples. the recovery of loyalties and potrimonies Indigenous peoples demands lor territorwhich were apparently lost. In the face or this the domanont Democracy. as the philosophy of a SOCltty responds with new ronns Western social system. is centered for the destruction or diversity. on the individual and excludes collecwith obstacles and repressive tives like Indigenous peoples i>Oiitical and judicial changes. Furthermore, the persistence of multiple lonns of racism that clisquahly and destroy .. ,periences or alter- ial reorg.1nlzation and more cultural and noll\'( Civilizations is generating processes lingUtsuc •utonomy are thus seen as sepor "de-lndianization: which lgiiOr<S the anutst effons. fact that each culture destroyed or termiWe exhort the presidents ol the nated is an Irretrievable loss lor the whole republics ol Latin America to comply with the promise made to the Indigenous peoof humanity. Democracy, as the philosophy of a ples ht the Declamtion of Guadalajam \Vestcrn social system. is centered on the (Mexico, july 1991). In which they ind1v1dual and e.'cludes coll<ctives like solemnly promised to ensure their ecolnd1genous peoples. ln thts way an objec- nomiC and social well being. as well as to ti\•ely VIable plurality has been denied at the obhgauon of respecting their rights the hngmstic, social, economic and cul- and cultural identity. We also belie"e it tural levels. The deferred democmtization necessary to approve the Chaner of the of L.1tin America will continue to be an Rights of Indigenous Peoples which the empty discourse and favorable only to the UN promoted as well as the International groups with hegemonic power if it does labor Org.1nizat ion~ Convention 169. We hkewise demand that legislative not take mto account the nect':SS.1ry rede· l'inuion of the current States' territorial, and JUdiCI31 powers and pohucal panics pohucal, social and cultuml spaces. frame their Jaws. resolutions and activities Buildang future democracy Wlll require an with respect lor ethnic pluralism and the increase in the presence and representa· inalienable rights to Hie. land. freedom tion of different cultural communities and and democracy. And especially. for them the respect for their political logic, which to carry through an effective effort to •viii contribute to the formation of plural- guarantee the respect for these rights at 11 �INTERNATIONAL tial of political projects upon which Indigenous organizations embark. where Indigenous peoples live. \:Ve recognize the initiatives fonnulated We believe that the Indigenous organiin re<:enl years b)' international organiza.* zations should reflect on these problems tions (United Nations, UNESCO, and re<:tify the individualist and competiOrganization of American States, UNICEF. tive behaviors of those leaders who have OIT and others) in favor of the Indigenous diSianocd themselves from the spirit of solpeoples of the continent and the world. idarity in which their organizations were Nonetheless the results have been limited. fonned. This is the only guarantee for More pressure and vigilance regarding progress toward the crystallization of a just Indigenous peoples' current situation is society. no1 only for the Indigenous people necessary. The imcmational organizations but for all of the oppressed sectors of must pressure the latin American heads-of- humanity. state to ratify and comply with internationMany of Latin Americas intellectuals al conventions on Indigenous peoples.. . continue to produce speeches referring to There is a simplistic and erroneous supposedly homogeneous national com\~Sion of what Indigenous panicip:.:uion munities. devaluing or lending a folk stigshould be in the actions and elaboration of ma to altemate cultural presences. ll is lndigenist policies, in the formulation of equally neocssary 1 mention the historical 0 community programs and of aid, and in the respot>Sibility that belongs tO the right wing polilical process of mobilization of the civil- in the fonnulation of the ideological paraian society itself. Such perspective assumes digms that guide the cultural and physical repression of Indigenous peoples. On the other hand, some A world without alternate communities. dogmatic sectors -guided by thewithout differentiated social groups, oretical mistakes- produced would be a world condemned to a lack political practices that have conof creativity and fraternal loyalties. tributed 1 the repression of eth0 nicity by considering it coumerthat Indigenous peoples simply copy mod· productive to the cla..<S struggle... II is also neocssary to realize a radical els of or ganization fron1 unions or other sectors of the population. The ethnic conti- questioning of some currents in the social nuity of Indigenous peoples cannot be sole- sciences and in ctrtain anthroJX>logy which ly understood as tenitorial control, but il is oriented more toward the aesthetic and requires the incorporation of political con- Sterile critique of its own disciplines than to ceptions that are part of the diversity of political thought and action. This is also the their cultures. case of a sector of linguistics that does not Indigenous organizations have fulfilled cooper.ne with ethnic cotnmunities, as well a fundamental role in the revindication of as not favoring the most appropriate the rights of the peoples they represent and methodologies for codifying. recovering in the construction of spaces for dialogue and consolidating autochthonous lanwith ea.ch other and national and interna- guages. tional powers. V.le cannot omilthat some of There ha\·e been advances in 1he fommtheir leaders have abused the mandate they lation of bilingual and intercultural educareocived from their peoples and communi- tional policies, but these are far from being ties to embark upon a career of personal implememed. Education often plaocs chilaccumulation and power. When they dren against the family environment-even a5Sllme the Criollo model of Clientelismo. from the pre-school level-at critical times and, more than a few times. of com..1ption, of primary socialization and learning of these leaders not only discredit themselves their m.other tongue. This results in a subbut they threaten the continuity and poten- sequent deculturation in which languages the level of the regions or territories 18 are convened into crutches for the acquisition of the dominant language and their own culture is lOSt to the hegemonic society. 'Whereas until now the State as well as private and religious groups has used the formal educat.ional system to undennine ethnic identity. the school can eventual!>' become a factor for cultuml reproduction if Indigenous people effectively appropriate il for their own historical and cultural imer· estS. .. Indigenous people have an undeniable right 1 their history and cultural heritage. 0 II is the obligation of the State and of secular society 1 promote an orderly and effec0 tive process for returning the knowledge collected on such peoples. A process of Latin American democnuization that effectively includes Indigenous peoples 'viii not be viable if it does not take imo account the necessity for geopolitical re-ordering that contemplates the specificities of Indigenous peoples' territoriality. In this sense. the concept of "peoples" corresponds to socially-organized human popu· lations which are ethnically defined and endowed with a spacial dimension that is their territory. This is conceived as the confines defined by the total and struciUred SCI of ecological. social and symbolic relations between a society and the geographical continuous or discontinuous space upon which it acts. This should include the numerous cases in which Indigenous peoples have been divided by State borders. where it is their right to aspire to circulate freely in the tenitory of these bordering r~ations, in accordance wilh their situations. In any case, tenitOrial autonomy ,viii imply not ot\ly decision-making in the case of tt..1..tural and economic resource use but also in political and cultural self-detern>ination, in the framework of a self-dctcnnination COtnpatible with and complementary to the sovereignty of national States. '!I Rio de janeiro. December 10 . 1993. Th~ full ltXl of rhis declaration is a\'ailablt upon request from SAIIC, or can bt fmmd in the SAIIC conj<rtne< (SAIIC.fndlo) on P<actnc<. I>Jyya Y News ala � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (Fall 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Barbados III: On Democracy and Diversity Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Barbados III: On Democracy and Diversity Item Type Newspaper Article Attachment Title Vol. 8, no. 3 (16-18).pdf Issue 3 Language English Publication Title Abya Yala News Volume 8 Author Stefano Varese Abstract Note The Barbados group has released another statement calling for the effective integration of indigenous into political processes, which needs to be done in a way that recognizes their differences from capitalist democratic systems. Pages 16-18