4 12 1190 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/806de5081fc7de7036958cd8f24b758c.pdf 2b8209c1f862bf99a7fa1b06b6a636b4 PDF Text Text W 0 M E N A Cultural Exchange : Q uichua Potters From Ecuador Visit by Suzana Sawyer acha Gualinga Cuji and Leona Inmunda Nango, indigenous cosmology and l'8inforest sustainability. two Indigenous Quichua female elders from the The clay, ocher, and resin materials used in their work, tropical forest region of eastern Ecuador, building and decorating Indigenous ceramics reflect recounted the story of how Nunguli, the forest spirit the need to carefully extract and sustain resources in which lives below the earth, entrusted women with an uncontaminated envi1·onment. The cosmological clay to sculpt into pottery. Theil· Spanish bore the dis- itnagery used in decoratit1g the ceramics retell the tinctive lilt of those whose first language is Quichua. numerous stories of forest spirits, or powers, essential With hands knotted from working the earth neru·ly to protect and maintain harmony among aU forest daily for fifty years, Miquia Bacha and Miquia Leona beings, animate and inanitnate. Nw1guli, the spirit of molded nwcahuas (drinking bowls) and told the tales fecundity, protects all cultivated plants. Amazanga, from their mothers and grandmothers. They spoke the spirit of strength, protects aU forest animals. with pride of their culture, the J•••NOPIP Tsumi, the spirit of fluidity, conthreat of petroleum contamination trois the worlds of waters and its and the recent border wru· with lives. And there are many more. Peru. Cosmological beliefs around The Bay Area was Bacha these spirits-their temperament..~. inclinations, and prac· Gualinga and Leona lnmunda's sec· ond stop on a fow· city Quichua tices- guide sustait1able prac· Potte•>s Cultural Exchange tour tices used in agriculture, huntorganized by OPIP (Organization of ing, fishing, and forest and river Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza) and management. Miquia Bacha and Miquia Fundaci6n Jatari, a small foundaLeona's ancestral territory contion established in 1978. Since its inception, Fundaci6n Jatari has sists of a 2 million hectares of been dedicated to enhancing t he uninterrupted prima•y rain for· educational opportunities of est in the central Ecuadorian Amazon Province of Pastaza. Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Ecuado•~ Per u, and This is the last such exp8llse in Bolivia. The 1995 Cultural Ecuador and the only place where women maintain the Exchange Tour is the second consecutive year in which Quichua women age-old tradition of Quichua pothave come to shru-e theit· cultw·al tery. OPIP is the Indian federa· knowledge and build interchange tion and organizational structw-e with the Notth. Their visits to UUICn<Jll worren·s pottery represents the which bas been fighting to pro· Minneapolis, Albuquerque, and intimate connection between lndi~enous teet this ancestral territo•y ru1d Santa Fe have allowed them to forge cosmology and rain fe<est sustainabllity. maintain sustainable Indigenous networks and friendships with management techniques for 16 Native Americans in the US. years. Founded in 1979, OPIP 1-ep•-esents 20,000 Chosen by their rainfo•-est communities, Bacha Indigenous peoples, dispersed in 133 communities. Gualinga and Leona lnmunda came to the United While gains have been made, the future of this terri to· States as spokeswomen in defense of their rut form ry and its people is uncertait1. and ancestral territory. Quichua pottery is a millenni· In 1992, 2,000 Indigenous peoples from Pastaza al practice exclusive to Indian women. Through its del- embarked on a historic march from their rain forest icate hand-coil form and intricate designs, Quichua communities to Quito to demand legal title to their pottery rep•-esents the intimate connection between ancestral teJTitory (see Abya Yala News Vol. 6, No. 3). Miquia Bacha was a key player in this struggle. The Suzana Sawyer is a Ph.D. Candidate in only woman to add1-ess the P•-esident an'd his cabinet, Anthropology at Stanford University and has worked Bacha Gualinga condemned the government for failing extensively with OPIP in the Ecuadorian Anwzon. to legalize "the territo1y in which theit· ancestors have B Vol. 9No. 1 31 �W 0 MEN always lived." \"'hile Indians in Pastaza returned to the lowlands after 5 weeks of negotiation with their territory adjudicated, titles included only surface rights to land and its products. SubteJTanean righ ts remain solely in the hands of the state to exploit. For twenty years, petroleum development has indelibly changed the social and ecological reality of the northern portion of the Ecuadorian Amazon through the construction of a network of roads and towns and the contamination of water and soil systems_ If petroletun development is not controlled, this is the fate looming on the horizons of Indigenous territory in Pastaza. ARCO, the only oil corporation working in Pastaza, has discovered a sizeable reserve in Indigenous ter.-itory and hydrocarbon extraction is inuninent, if the local communities and international pressure groups a re not mobilized. The struggle for land and Indigenous rights in Pastaza is not simply the concern of a politicized Indigenous elite. Miquia Abigail and Miquia Leona came to tbe Bay Area in representation of their communities and OPIP to speak in their own voices about their peoples' historical struggle in defense of their culture, beliefs, language, and way of life in the Ecuado.-ian rain forest. Standing before the San Francisco audience, Bacha Gualinga spoke on the wisdom of the ages: "I don't know how to read or write. Not even sign my name. Yet, I have here, captw-ed within my head, years and years of history. I am here as a seed, as a root, as a tree. Look at me and learn." Tracing the intimate lin.k between Indigenous peoples and a landscape, she added, "'f Indians disappear, if our way of life is destroyed, what will happen to the world? Then there will not be forest. The jungle \vill not be green." In 1989, OPIP established a Women's Committee directed by and for Indigenous Quichua women to strengthen disappearing traditions and address women's needs. Female potters in the province of Pastaza cunently sell their ar tware to OPIP's Cooperative store, Yanapuma (Black Panther), in t he provincial capital of Puyo. Now, OPIP's Women's Committee 'vishes to explot·e possibilities for expanding the marketing oflndigenous ceramjcs. The US tour aims to provide Amazonian Quichua potters dii-ect access to international alternative trade markets in the United States. The Women's Committee seeks to develop alternative trade networks as empowering opportunities to re-enforce the cultural tradition of the more than 3,000 women potters in the t'egion and extend needed economic support. An example of grassroots organizing initiated and controlled by Indian women, the mru·keting of the Quichua ceramic tradition re-affirms the dignity their cultural identity by honoring indigenous female art and strengthening female voices. Organized during International Women's Month, the Quichua Potte•'s Exchange deepens a commitment fot· dialogue between women across the globe and expands international networks of mutual suppott and cooperation. '0' For more information, contact: Fwui<tci6n Jatari, P 0. Box 65195, Tucs011, AZ, 85728, Tell Fax: (520) 5773642; or the Organizati01t of Indigenous Peoples of Pa.staza (OPIP), Casilla 790, Puyo, Pastaza, Tell Fa.<: (593-3) 885-461. Indigenous People form an Alliance to counter the Vampire Project On February 18-19, 1995, a group of30 Indigenous delegates from the United States, Canada, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru met in Phoenix, A.-izona, to discuss an Indigenous response to the Human Genome Project. During the three days of discussion, the delegates decided to form an International Alliance to counter the Huntan Genome Biodiversity Project. Many Indigenous peoples call this "The Vampire Project" because its goal is to collect blood, t issues, and hair from about 700 Indigenous groups around the wodd. The Human Genome Project is a proposal to collect and study the genetic structw-es of va.-ious ethnic groups. They have targeted populations "on the verge of extinction:• a nd refer to Indigenous groups as "Isolates of Historical Interest." SAIIC and many other Indigenous organizations have taken a stand against this project because it is yet another example of t-esearch which Notth American and European scientists carry out on Indigenous peoples without their consent and without all of the t-elevant information being provided to them. This is a continuation of colonialism ofindigenous peoples which began 500 years ago. The delegates at the Phoenix confet-ence decided to make a plan of action to stop t.he Human Genome Project and its attempt against the biological, spiritual, physical, and psychological lives of Indigenous peoples. They formed a coordinating committee comprised of Indigenous people from North, Central, and South America. They are planning another meeting for next fall in northern California in order to continue tbis campaign. The En'owkin Centre and Okanagan Indians in British Columbia organized this conference which TonatietTa in Phoeni.x hosted. Debra Hany, a Paiute Indian from Nevada, is coordinator of this project. For mot-e informati<>n, contact: Debra, at PO Box 6, N~'Wn, Neuada 89424, Tel: (702) 574-0309, e-mail <Utarry@igc.apc.org; or the Ett'owkin Centre, 257 Brwu;wick St., Penticton, BC V2R 5P9, Canada, Tel: (604) 4937181 Fa.<: (604) 493-5302. ,.,.-- - - - - - - - - ------32 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. 9, no. 1 (Spring 1995) 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 A Cultural Exchange: Quichua Potters From Ecuador Visit Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Suzana Sawyer Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring, 1995 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Cultural Exchange: Quichua Potters From Ecuador Visit Item Type Journal Article Author Suzana Sawyer Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 31 - 32 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring, 1995 Language English Abstract Note Quichua female elders visit several cities in the United States with the help of the Quichua Potter's Cultural Exchange tour organized by OPIP (Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza). This is part of an effort to expand alternate trade networks to create more opportunities to reinforce the cultural traditions of the Quichua. Attachment Title A_Cultural_Exchange_Quichua_Potters_From_Ecuador_Visit.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Pastaza pottery Quichua Territory Women https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/6d3c7630bed18282b936fc34aacabeda ba40e946d1a24b79beea376034eabe86 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. 5, nos. 2&3 (18-22).pdf PDF Text Text the end of June, 1990. The conquest of the Amazon today is very clear. This land is under assault in order to exploit its mineral resources, its reserves of valuable timber and its great hydro-electric potential. The Indigenous people of the Amazon are confronting this conquest, and this is 1989. The Yanomami, the most numerous of the Indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest, are facing the loss of their lands and are being killed because they are viewed as a barrier to the exploitation of natural resources in Brazil. Thus October 12, 1992 presents a great opportunity not to celebrate, nor to cry about our bad luck, but rather to reflect upon 500 years of the European invasion and to formulate alternatives for a better life, in harmony with Nature and with human dignity. Our peoples are developing forms of political, religious, cultural and economic interchange and interrelationship - a continental cultural identity; a civilization. Nevertheless, with the European invasion and subsequent process of colonization, we became isolated and out of communication, breaking a form of development we had attained. So, it is necessary to re-establish these lines of communication, to present an indigenous voice, not only against the celebration of the "SOOth Anniversary," but to face up to the innumerable common problems that we have and work for a worthy future for our people. Therefore, we invite all Indigenous peoples of our continent to reflect upon the real meaning of the "conquest" and to participate in the First Continental Meeting of Indigenous Peoples- 500 Years of Resistance" to be held at For further information about the conference, you can contact SAIIC or write to: CONAIE Los Granados 2553 Batan Quito, Ecuador A Historical Look at Native Resistance in South America The following is excerpted from a position paper written by CONAIE for their National Program: "On October 12, 1492 a group of adventurers backed by the Kings of Castille and Aragon, and lead by Christopher Columbus, landed on our continent. Their arrival inaugurated the so-called 'discoveries' of territories in America. As is well-known, the Spanish conquest originated out of an extremely high demand for precious metals. This demand was �generated by a crisis among feudal European regimes, particularly in Spain. The 'conquistadors' income generating plan was also fomented by a singular understanding and manner of practicing the Catholic faith. With respect to this perception of Catholicism, in 1606, Simon de Villalobos, a colonial authority, asserted, 'when we kill or wound, we must be careful to do so in defense of the faith of our father, Jesus Christ. In his name and defense we can win the heavens, employing_the spear and the knife.' oppression. The official religion served the function of appeasing the 'conquistadors' consciences while becoming a tool for controlling the indigenous people. This was the case, despite the fact that only 45 years after the 'discovery' of America, the Catholic Church recognized indigenous people as human beings. The true role of the Church during this period, however, was questioned by Bartolome de las Casas, precursor of the Church committed to the fate of the poor ... These events have been interpreted in In effect, the various manners. To extraction and apthe hispanicists and propriation of gold eurocentricists, Octoand other riches by ber 12, 1492 signified the 'conquistadors' the 'discovery' of the was marked by 'new continent' and violence and based the possibility of on exploiting the bringing the light of civilization and the labor of the indigenous population. AdCatholic religion to ditionally, various the dark, 'barbaric,' forms of political 'primitive/ and domination and 'pagan' societies. cultural oppression This point of view were used towards dominated Spanish "Now, we feel that this is the moment to define these ends. In the and Portuguese joint strategies and activities to counteract the final analysis, the thought during the official campaign of the SOOth Anniversary." 'conquest' process sixteenth century. constituted a transSlight modification to formation, readaptation, and in some cases, a this line of thinking occurred during the first break in the traditional lifestyles of our half of the seventeenth century, a period peoples. However, the principal characteristics dominated by the Dutch, and has been susof this process was the death of a huge portion tained to this day by the Anglo Saxon English, of the indigenous population. and later the North Americans, during the first decades of the twentieth century ... The use of such violence was not an isolated event. To the contrary, violence The Indo-american people expressed constituted one of the more visible aspects of many forms of resistance to colonial dominathe process of political domination and cultural tion. All focused on the same objective how- �ever; the end of colonial rule. In this manner, the numerous peoples existing in the Americas at the time of its conquest were able to strengthen their commitment to unity while confronting the foreign 'conquistadors.' Within this ethnic and hierarchical order, the African peoples brought to the Americas during the slave trade, as well as certain sectors of the white/mestizo society, were included in the system of exploitation installed by the agrarian, neo-colonial regime. The fact that they are also victims of an exploitative system prompted many to join in the diverse forms of resistance initiated by the indigenous peoples. This understanding of the need for unity has brought about permanent conspiracies and uprisings against the colonial regimes, constituting the most definitive expression of the relative autonomy of the indigenous world with respect to colonial society. The indirect This resistance assumed new form and control exercised by .----:::-:::-=-::--::---...,~---::-~""0:""~::-:-:=:-::;, content as the nation the crown over states went about deindigenous societies fining themselves in permitted, to a the politicat admincertain extent, the istrative, and judicial preservation of the spheres, along with indigenous world. establishing iron-dad Our historical consystems of tribute sciousness, linguistic and imposing and territorial idensubmission to the tity, as well as certain eclessiastical strucaspects of the traditure. Given the tional productive situation, uprisings process, rituals and focused on changing religion, are among the harsh forms of the areas remaining intact. exploitation on a local basis, while contributing to a strengthening of an autonomous spirit From this point of view, the overthrow among our peoples. of the Spanish colonial regime can be primarily attributed to the anti-colonial uprisings of the On the other hand, the efforts to indigenous peoples. These uprisings began establish an official, dominant culture on the towards the end of the seventeenth century, part of the Creole elites were thwarted by the taking hold in the most important productive, continual renewal of, and adherence to our administrative and commercial centers of the historical consciousness, and the living eleSpanish Empire. Thus, the Creoles' efforts toments of our cultural identity. For this reason, wards independence constituted little more resistance was also focused on continual apprethan the epilogue in a process stemming from ciation of our peoples and their cultures over the anti-colonial mentality of the indigenous the threats of the modernization of our tradipeople ... tional agrarian society. ~ l\ �During this process, the struggle for land became one of the most important issues in our understanding of identity and autonomy. The land holds a fundamental place in our daily life, in our sacred vision of the world and the heavens. Thus, the peoples who have inherited the traditions of the high, agrarian, Indoamerican civilizations of North, Central and South America, along with the various people with whom they coexist, and who coexist with them, are comitted to protecting and glorifying our long trajectory of resistance to regimes characterized by economic exploitation and political domination ... l \\ Due to the fact that Ecuadorian, and Latin American society in general, have promoted modernization and development processes, their colonial heritage has not been overcome. Indians, Blacks and Mestizos are still subjected to exploitation and oppression. Economic and social differences, as well as racial discrimination, continue to be the norm in some countries. In many cases these practices have reached ethnocidal and genocidal proportions. The concept of 'Indian,' originating during colonial times, characterizes the Indian as different and inferior to the white European. This concept has endured to date. The indigenist practices advocate for the 'redemption of the Indian' via his integration into the national society. This policy has failed to solve the fundamental problems confronting our peoples. Despite certain predictions to the effect that industrial society would necessarily lead to the extinction of the Indians, the indigenous peoples have risen again. We have become stronger in our struggle to recover what is legitimately ours and formulate an alternative political project aimed at building a new society. In this manner, indigenous nationalities have comprised the most important nucleus of the future society, as well as of a Plurinational State. The political proposal for a Plurinational State does not seek to build 'separate states' as insinuated by some sectors of society in the hopes of engendering fear within the population. To the contrary, the idea is to reflect the reality of the country in terms of cultural and national diversity, recognizing these differences and establishing social, political and economic equality ... From this perspective, we have moved forward in our organizational and political activities to such an extent that at present we �are one of the most representative organized social forces. Along these lines, we have not only had a bearing on the restructuring of the national scene, but have also infuenced the formulation of political parties' programs, and national governments. On the other hand, efforts by indigenous peoples, along with the political projections of their organizations, have been fundamental factors in defining the diverse historical and cultural identities of the peoples comprising American society. Along the same lines, the establishment of a Plurinational State presupposes the recovery of our true historic and cultural roots, and of our identities as peoples with a history and a future. 1992 marks 500 years of the Spanish invasion. On this occasion, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAlE), representating the indigenous peoples, exercises its right to reflect and protest the official celebrations of national governments. We call on the various social sectors of our country to unite in one front and generate a mass movement in Ecuador and throughout the continent. The basic objective of this mobilization is to recover the dignity of our peoples and reject all forms of submission, colonial practices and neo-colonialism. The actions we have planned are part of a broad opposition movement, reaching both continental and international proportions. This movement was created in response to the 500 years since the 'discovery' of America celebrations, or so-called 'Meeting of Two Worlds.' This is the context from which CONAlE has organized a program of activities for the next four years." Letter of Solidarity from Nicaraguan Indian Leaders about the So-called "Discovery of America" The following is a letter SAIIC received from Kisan Par laPaz insummer, 1990. "Dear Compafieros and Compafieras, We want to express our solidarity with all Amerindian Peoples. This is a very special occassion to raise our Peoples' consciousness � 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. 5, Nos. 2&amp;3 (Fall 1989 &amp; Winter 1990) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1989 & Winter 1990 Zotero Issue 2 & 3 Language English Publication Title SAIIC Volume 5 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 A Historical Look at Native Resistance in South America (500 Years of Indian Resistance) Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article 2 & 3 Language A language of the resource English 2 & 3 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1989 & Winter 1990 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource 2 & 3 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2 & 3 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource 2 & 3 Description An account of the resource 2 & 3 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 2 & 3 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2 & 3 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available 2 & 3 Relation A related resource 2 & 3 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 2 & 3 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived 2 & 3 Subject The topic of the resource 2 & 3 Zotero Title A Historical Look at Native Resistance in South America (500 Years of Indian Resistance) 2 & 3 Item Type Newspaper Article 2 & 3 Attachment Title Vol. 5, nos. 2&3 (18-22).pdf 2 & 3 Attachment URL [No URL] 2 & 3 Language English Volume 5 Artist 2 & 3 Attorney Agent 2 & 3 Book Author 2 & 3 Cartographer 2 & 3 Cast Member 2 & 3 Commenter 2 & 3 Composer 2 & 3 Contributor 2 & 3 Cosponsor 2 & 3 Counsel 2 & 3 Director 2 & 3 Editor 2 & 3 Guest 2 & 3 Interviewee 2 & 3 Interviewer 2 & 3 Inventor 2 & 3 Performer 2 & 3 Podcaster 2 & 3 Presenter 2 & 3 Producer 2 & 3 Programmer 2 & 3 Recipient 2 & 3 Reviewed Author 2 & 3 Scriptwriter 2 & 3 Series Editor 2 & 3 Sponsor 2 & 3 Translator 2 & 3 Words By 2 & 3 Note 2 & 3 DOI 2 & 3 ISBN 2 & 3 ISSN 2 & 3 Access Date 2 & 3 Application Number 2 & 3 Archive 2 & 3 Archive Location 2 & 3 Artwork Medium 2 & 3 Artwork Size 2 & 3 Assignee 2 & 3 Audio File Type 2 & 3 Audio Recording Format 2 & 3 Bill Number 2 & 3 Blog Title 2 & 3 Book Title 2 & 3 Call Number 2 & 3 Case Name 2 & 3 Code 2 & 3 Code Number 2 & 3 Code Pages 2 & 3 Code Volume 2 & 3 Committee 2 & 3 Company 2 & 3 Conference Name 2 & 3 Country 2 & 3 Court 2 & 3 Date 2 & 3 Date Decided 2 & 3 Date Enacted 2 & 3 Dictionary Title 2 & 3 Distributor 2 & 3 Docket Number 2 & 3 Document Number 2 & 3 Edition 2 & 3 Encyclopedia Title 2 & 3 Episode Number 2 & 3 Extra 2 & 3 Filing Date 2 & 3 First Page 2 & 3 Forum Title 2 & 3 Genre 2 & 3 History 2 & 3 Institution 2 & 3 Interview Medium 2 & 3 Issue 2 & 3 Issue Date 2 & 3 Issuing Authority 2 & 3 Journal Abbreviation 2 & 3 Label 2 & 3 Legal Status 2 & 3 Legislative Body 2 & 3 Letter Type 2 & 3 Library Catalog 2 & 3 Manuscript Type 2 & 3 Map Type 2 & 3 Medium 2 & 3 Meeting Name 2 & 3 Name of Act 2 & 3 Network 2 & 3 Num Pages 2 & 3 Number 2 & 3 Number of Volumes 2 & 3 Pages 18-22 Patent Number 2 & 3 Place 2 & 3 Post Type 2 & 3 Presentation Type 2 & 3 Priority Numbers 2 & 3 Proceedings Title 2 & 3 Program Title 2 & 3 Programming Language 2 & 3 Public Law Number 2 & 3 Publication Title SAIIC Publisher 2 & 3 References 2 & 3 Report Number 2 & 3 Report Type 2 & 3 Reporter 2 & 3 Reporter Volume 2 & 3 Rights 2 & 3 Running Time 2 & 3 Scale 2 & 3 Section 2 & 3 Series 2 & 3 Series Number 2 & 3 Series Text 2 & 3 Series Title 2 & 3 Session 2 & 3 Short Title 2 & 3 Studio 2 & 3 Subject 2 & 3 System 2 & 3 Thesis Type 2 & 3 University 2 & 3 URL 2 & 3 Version 2 & 3 Video Recording Format 2 & 3 Website Title 2 & 3 Website Type 2 & 3 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/b856143ffaca8bc2ca446a9aad7dadab.pdf a9707aa1b88f9cec9af5e3f573a33af2 PDF Text Text GUATEMALA Journey To The South _ "In the month of December, 197 4, I journeyed into Guatemala with a group of Indian people from different parts of the United States. I myself came from a small Indian community called Tets'ugeh Owingeh in the state of New. Mexico. In our great big mobile home, we began a journey that was to begin the first contact between the Native People of the North and the Native People of the South. A journey, I believe, that was directed by the Spirits of Life .... "In one village the women dressed me in their native costume, an honor I will never forget. Their "Woman with Fire" etching. © 1975 Ester Hernandez smiles told me that I looked like them except I was taller. The language barrier kept me from communicating what my heart felt. It was great knowing that we both lived. Those that we had the privilege of meeting, we renewed our relation to one another. It was like meeting a relative that we haven't seen in a long time. Miles separate us but our thoughts and prayers will keep us together. ... "I know many things have changed in Guatemala since we visited in 197 4-7 5, but I know the people are still there. It is hard for me to imagine the situation there today. The peaceful and beautiful people that I had the privilege of meeting are now carrying arms and fighting with their lives to save the Mayan civilization. Little innocent children suffering the consequences of wars. In my heart, mind and spirit I unite with my relatives and support their struggle against the evils of mankind. The spiritless soul of the non-Indians can change our appearance but he will never take our minds, hearts and spirit. We will always be a free people. This spirit is what binds us in the North and the South. 1 "What can we do to help our relatives? As Indian people from the North, we who are still very strong in our original instructions can offer our prayers every day for our relatives and especially remember them in ceremonies. As Americans we must voice our support for the indigenous people of the world, through our governments. As grassroots people we must aid those fleeing for their lives, not because they want to be a part of the world of the Americans, but because their very existence is threatened. Many of our relatives want to return to their homeland. They will gladly return if they will be guaranteed a free life. We must also give our support to those Americans who are being prosecuted for aiding fleeing refugees. "May these words bring peace and harmony to our relatives in Central and South Vol. 2, no. 3. Spring, 1986. Published quarterly by SAIIC © 1986 Page3 �America. We are united with them in the Spirit of Life." In spirit with my Brothers and Sisters, K'uu yaa Tsa-wa Journey to the South will be printed in its entirety in Native Self-Sufficiency (Vol. 8, no. 2, April 1986), P.O. Box 10, Forestville, CA 95436, or may be ordered from SAIIC. (See order form on page 19.) "Tejido de los Desaparecidos" silkscreen. © 1984 Ester Hernandez Inauguration Day In uatemala Bruce Curtis, who works with the organization Plenty (651 Santa Ray, Oakland, CA 94610, 415-465-1328) arrived in Guatemala in February this year as part of the Central Amer. ica Peace March, which began in Panama in December, 1985. In this report, Bruce describes some of what he found in Guatemala the day the new civilian president Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo was inaugurated. I went to visit a Mayan friend, Jose Poaquil (not his real name) who lives in Guatemala City. Jose is a traditional Mayan who is careful to keep a low profile because of the heightened persecution which traditional Mayans have experienced in Guatemala since 1980. I asked Jose what he thought about the new civilian government. He said only time would tell, but that he was cautiously optimistic, a view I heard repeatedly during my stay in the country. While the entire city was distracted by the inauguration ceremonies, Jose and I drove outside the city limits to visit a refugee camp. It was a camp mostly for Mayan peasants who had left their highland villages and come down to the city looking for safety and work. On the way we rode through a middle class suburb that bordered a large, flat empty tract of land that was being prepared for another suburban housing development. The lots were sectioned off and the street signs were in place. Suddenly, we noticed hundreds of people streaming onto this empty tract, and in their midst we could see held high the bright green flag of the newly-elected Christian Democratic Party. Later we would learn that it was a land invasion by homeless refugees who intended to build shacks and squat on this unused plot of ground. The land belongs to the government of Guatemala. Vol. 2, no. 3. Spring, 1986. Published quarterly by SAIIC © 1986 Page4 � 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. 2, No. 3 (Spring 1986) 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 A Journey to the South (Guatemala) Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1986 Zotero Title A Journey to the South (Guatemala) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 3 (3-4).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Journey to the South, a publication featured in SAIIC Newsletter. Issue 3 Language English Pages 3-4 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 A Journey To The South Guatemala https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/f48c70285bc4bba85907f2e978cc214b.pdf 07f84433b6d59cd94dff1c4f294e909a PDF Text Text A MESSAGE FROM THE HUAORANI ¥ (Ecuador) Under increasing pressure from indigenous peoples uf the Ecuadorian Amazon and tnVironmenllll organizations within and outside Ecuador, C = Oil Comparty announad on October 11 that it tooS withdrawing from all oil develqpment in the regicn of the Amazon that comprises the traditional territory of the Huaorn11i lndums. Conoco's decision came thrre w«ks after the Inter·Amerialn Commission on Hurnan Rights hmrd arguments by SAIIC coordinAtor, Nilo Cayuquro and IAuri Adams of the Sieml Club Legal Defense Fund. They argued that actions by the government uf Ecuador apprwing Conoco's massive oil deve/qpmenl project in the hMrl uf the HIIQOnmi's traditionallllnds violates the Indians' a.sic human rights to life, hMith, hame, family, and cullurt. The following Idler wzs sent to Canoco by the Huaomni organiz.aticn in the Ecuadorian Amazon (ONHAE). See issues Vo/5 Nos 3&4 of the SAIIC NttDSldter far more information on theUmoc:o • Huaomni case. General Manager DuPont - Conoeo Company Un ited State8 of America Dear Sir: The Orqaniution o! the Huaorani Nation.>lity of the Ec\l.odorian 1\mozon Region (ONHAE) , in a.n extraordinary meeting held on the lOth and 11th of January, 1991, adopted the following re301utions: 1. 'n\at oil exploitation in the ftuaora.ni territory rrust be provontod, because the pollution hao killed """Y anift.lo, tiohos and plants, and haa produoed many diaeasea. 'n\at is what we have a.oen, and it is th.reat6t\i.ng the life of th4l Hua.oranie. 2 . 'll\o.t tho oil OOCTpa.nies enter ovr territory without t akinq ue into acoount. '11\at thoy como in a.nd do thoir work doepito tho fe.ct that thoy know wo have the proporty ri9hte over this land., disrupting our orga.niz.ational process; tho Co.nooo ~y wants to work by itself, uei.nc), in an iaolat«:l fashion, Hua.ora.nis from Cononaoo and Yasuni . 3. That the Ccnooo ~ is discussing the fate of the Huaora.nia in fn60ting-s in whidl tho Hua.ora.nis are not preet~nt and that we a.re t~t.cl as it we are gue.st~. We mJet not be treated as questa when the dia.cussion is about our lives . We rrust eorr.ct this situation, because our liv<ts au on the liM. 4 . 'Ibat we, tho ONHAE, ratify our opposition to the construction ot any roads in Hua.ora.ni tor-rito.ry. S. Thot th• drillin9 of oil wolls pollut•a tho rivers. 6. That the Huaorani culture sunrive and prosper. We do not want nie.s to oocro a.nd civiliu us. OOftt)O.- 7. 'Ihet vo do not want to be doc::eivod by the oil <XX'fl)41\iea. 8. !bot vo aro aware of the problems of the world. Despite thea.o, wo will oontinue to defend our land. Awaiting your respo.nse to caja Postal 17-21-166, Quito, Ecuador, we rotn11in sincerely, Ro.m' n Hua.noni COb&, Moi Enoman9a Na.ntohua, President, antA& Vioe Vol6 Nos 1&2 President,~ Eugenio Qu-ri C. Secretary, ONKAE 17 � 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. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) 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 A Message From the Huaorani Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Message From the Huaorani Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 17 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note Conoco Oil withdraws from Huarorani territory, in part from a letter explaining why oil exploitation must be prevented. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p017.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Ecuador Huaorani https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/8bdd980f2899d77a631a2c0694d461d9.pdf 28da3b3b35c7ca692929ddb89b6697f1 PDF Text Text Ph«o by Dap!w Wysham The KUNJ have a Ullique 1~1 of OUUJnomy due w a long hiJtory ofrtsisuw:t. A Message from the Kunas United for Mother Earth (Panama) My name is Atendo Lopez Martinez, and I belong to the I<una nation of the I<una Yala region of Panama. I am here in North America to find out more about the work of our northern brothers and sisters and to investigate ways we might be able to coordinate our actions.! would like to share with you an account of what is happening to our people in Panama, in particular the I<una people. 1hereareapproximately40,000 I<Wla living on the islands in the I<una Yala Region, in the northeast of Panama on the Colombian border. The region of !<una Yala comprises more than 3W islands, of which 52 are inhabited. 1here is a very small percentage of Kuna who reside in the jungle outside of the jurisdiction of Kuna Yala, in the province of Panama. They also are struggling to have their territory (known as the KIUla Region of Madungandi) demarcated. Those of us who live on the islands or in the coastal areas of the Caribbean have a certain autonomy with respect to other indigenous groups and state policy. We obtained a level of autonomy, which is unique among indigenous peoples, by fighting against the police and the colonial army of Panama in 1925. Many of our grandfathers lost their lives to the white invaders, who wanted to keep the I<una people as their slaves. Among others, Nele I<antule and Coman led this uprising. They proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Tule, which was never actually formed, but we obtained the autonomy we rontinue to exercise today, albeit with many problems. We do not assess national taxes amongst our own peoples, and what we assess from non-I<una people goes toward the development of our communities. With tespcct to our internal governance, we strongly enforce tcspect for traditions and customs within our rommunities. In the political realm, we have the General I<una Congress, which Vol6 Nos 1&2 25 �unites all Kuna people and organizations. EveJy six months the problems of our people arc reviewed in this rongress. Du.ring the rest of the year our rornrnunities and organizations work independently. Distinct political and even ideological positions are respected. What unites us is the defense of our region. our Mother Earth, and our culture. 'The Kuna Region of Madungandi is being threatened by the invasion of non·indigenous colonists. TI>ose who liw in the jungle region are on mountainous lands which are less productive, the result of a forced relocation in 1974 and 1975 by the fonncr government of General Omar Torrijos. The government decided to build a hydroelectric dam in the region in order to supply electridty to the republic. Ironically, today, our brothers still do not have electricity. They do not enjoy any of the benefits of this socalled "technological development." They live in the province of Panama, under the direct administration of the authorities of that province. Their situation worsened in 1974 and 1975 when the government of Omar Torrijos nooded their territories and turned them into an artificial lake. Now the lake generates approximately 45% of the country's elcctridty. The cultivated lands of the Kuna were nooded, the people were displaaxl to inhospitable a.nd less productive areas, and they received little rompensation for their losses. In contrast, the colonists or invaders were relocated to better parts and given rompcnsation for the loss of land and cultivated areas. Since the origins of this problem nearly 20 years ago, the stealing of lands from the Kuna has rontinued. Today, it is lead by wealthy landowners and cattle ranchers who manipulate disputes between poor people and our brothers in order to eventually take over the land themselves. These invasions have increased since the US invasion of Panama, as a result of the ronfusion and lad< of applied justice. On the 10th of july, 1991, the Kuna of Madungandi began a series of peaceful protests, an uprising. The Panamanian authorities immediately stated that the "'Kuna indigenous people, using heavy weapons, have risen up_. to destabilize the present government." This became the pretext for the governor of the province to request the police intervention in order to repress the Kuna. Fortunately, their false daims were disregarded and ronfronted with rourage by our brot.hers, with the support of the Kuna Yala. 'The Kuna who liw on the isla.n dsengage in subsistence production. The men generally work in fishing the seas and agricultural production, in particular the production of eoronut. which is our main source of cash income. We sell eoronuts to Colombian ships, and many of us exchange it for food products. The Panamanian government has done little or nothing to purchase eoronut from us and to look for a solution to the deep cronornic crisis affecting our regions. Amongst our people, we continue to barter for food products, which contributes slightly toward alleviating the crisis. The women, in tum., dedicate themselves primarily to the home and to the care of children. (Su At~ncio, p. 45) 26 The Kuna Speak about 500 Years of Resistance (Panama) Our organization, along with other Indigenous organizations in Panama have coordinated the 500yearscampaign ina united way. We see 1992asa time to commemorate not only 500 years of resistance, but also to reinforce ties of unity amongst ourselves. This will enable us to better ronfront our enemies who tty to divide us and deny our existence. It is for this reason that we recognize the struggle of other poor and marginalized sec:~ors of our countty. Ukc us, they fight for their survival and for rcspe<t of their rights. However, we do not tolerate those nonindigenous organizations that want to capitalize on the 500 years campaign for political purposes. They want to use indigenous peoples without understanding and recogniz.. ing the nature of our struggles. We do not deny the struggle of other sec:~ors of Abya Yala (rontinent, In the Kuna la.nguage). On the contrary, our rontinent will be free only when all sec:~ors. .. arc free. However, there are attempts to undermine the u.nity among indigenous peoples by using us when we arc in the limelight. and simultaneously giving priority to other struggles. I believe that 1992 should not be seen as the end of the indigenous struggle.lnstead, we must realize that our struggle will continue beyond 1992, until there is recognition of all of our rights of self-dctcnnination for our territ<>ries. This must be understood by those popular groups who support us. They should not see in the struggle of indigenous people, the opportunity to achieve their own aspirations. We are in solidarity with them, and we thank them for their solidarity. And we recognize that there are divisionsamongst indigenous peoples, but in spite of all of these, 1992 should be a year for monumental unity, in order to challenge our enemies. Our Mother Earth is being beaten. and her children should be united to defend her. In Panama we have a 500 Years National Commit• tee composed of indigenous and non·indigenous groups. The indigenous peoples include the Kuna, Guayrnie, and Embera. We want the Committee to be romposcd not solely of people from the capital and big dties, but rather people from the communities of our regions. We are proposing a National Gathering to deal with many issues, including that of greater unity in order to defend our rights and demands to the national government. I would like to call on all of our brothers and sisters of the rontincnt to keep our fists high- together we will advance along a path of unity and liberation of our peoples. SAIIC Newsletter �Atendo (continued from p. 26) n.cy a.r e a strong force in the economic survival of our communities. This is because of their involvement in the production of "molas," which is the art of the Kuna. Because the "molas" are being sold at natio nal levels and exported to the US and Europe, they are achieving economic success at international levels. In many tespects, the women have a greater capacity to organize them.sclves in cooperatives and to conbibute to the economic survival of the Kuna family than the men do. This is why, when we speak of the Kuna economy, we spea.k of men and women as equals. Davi (continued from p. 21) 1hcre are many people who are powerful. There are powerful gold miners... and authorities too, like Romero Juca, former president of FUNAI. He is responsible for letting the gold miners invade our territory and ... for lots of killings of Yanomami ... Something must be done to solve our problem because Romero Juca will not solve it. He docs not like us. .. Do the international authorities and people from the United States think it is true what they always say that the demarcation of Yanomami land is a matter of money, that they do not have money to do it?... I am very worried about people abroad who.. : are giving money to Brazil. .. but ll21 to help the Indians. This money that comes from abroad is helping the Brazilian government to oppress Indians. I am very worried about that. Non-Indians are like ants. I know that non-Indians like our reso= n.cy say that we have gold, we have lumber, and they say that they need that to help the people who live in the city. Well, we do not want them, and we do not want them here. What we wa. t is tespect for our rights. We want n them to leave us alone. We need help with regard to the health situation. In the beginning we did not need any help. We did not need any doctors, any medical doctors, any nurses or any medicine. But now we need doctors and nurses to help the Yanomami who are sick. We also need medicines because we used to cure ourselves only with 'shabori' [shamanism) ... But that is not enough anymore, And we need medical doctors and medicines and help from non-Indian people. We are worried because the non-Indians are not very much worried about us. They think that we are a different race. 1hcrefore, they want to isolate us. They think we are bothering their work. We are preventing them from working here, so they would rather have us isolated. They do not wony very much about what is going on with us. 44 We have strongly safeguarded our spirituality and traditions. For example, we hold the Gc1U!ml Congress of Kuna Culture, which unites the spiritual guides of all of our communities. They are highly respected by all Kuna people. n.cy promote teaching and learning amongst the youth so that our rich traditions are not lost. We, of Kuna Yala, are confronting serious problems along the Colombian border, where gold prospectors are invading our lands. We are also indirect victims of the confrontations which take place in Colombia between the guerrillas and the army. Violating all laws, both sides invade our region while the Panamanian authorities do nothing to stop them. The same thing occurs with the Yanqui {United States) army which often crosses our territory to go to the Panamanian border with the excuse of filling the vacuum created by the dissolution of the Pana· man ian army in 1989, following the invasion. Ampan (continued from p. 11) domination. everybody is af'Taid that we will take a racist stand and that this will lead to a racial confrontation. For this reason. there has not been enough dialogue amongst the poor dass. In meetings with laborer$, peasants and intellectuals, it is important for us to talk so that we feel equal. We must, if we are from the same cla.ss, talk so that we can find a solution... Plurinationality will only be possible with the total transformation of society. This is possible if, as in Switzer· land, there are well-defined and recognized sectors. We understand that the problem is not exclusively Indigenous. It is a problem which concerns aU of us. In order to form such a state we must think carefully what it would be like. How would it be governed at the political, economic, social and cultural levels? U we find that the workers are on one side, the indigenous on another and other sectors on other sides, then it will not be possible... We must continually reconsider our struggle and include long-term goals in our strategy. We must work together and make compromises. We must coordinate our endeavors in this way or we will not succeed, even if we are united. SAIIC Newsletter � 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. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) 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 A Message from the Kunas United for Mother Earth Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Message from the Kunas United for Mother Earth Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1&2 Pages 25-26, 44 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Attachment Title A_Message_From_The_Kunas_United_For_Mother_Earth.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note A member of the Kuna people describes their tribes achievements and the 500 years of resistance. Kunas https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1ccad2d0793de1cf667321be077d9826.pdf 7cc03e63486c3507ef0d596af5a18a79 PDF Text Text A Neoliberal State of Siege On April 18, 1995, a series of strikes organized by lndigenous peasants and urban teachers forced the central government to declare a state of siege that has lasted three months. The international press has marginally covered this event. A state of siege is a serious menace to the concept of democracy and reminiscent of authoritarian rule. It is the first state of siese that neoliberalism could not avoid. In what follows, sociolivera Cusicanqui interprets the reasons behind such measures and underlines the double moral standard of current politics in Bolivia. by Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui Democracy and violence are not incompatible terms or exclusionary in and of themselves. In Mexico, a solid clientelistic state structure serves as the base of the oldest electoral farce in America, while hundreds of thousands of rural Mexicans and Indigenous peoples die or flee from their country. In Colombia, democratic regimes elected according to various conventional norms have co-existed during more than a century with the most repressive and brutal military and paramilitary violence, and with the most varied forms of popular armed resistance. In the Bolivian Constitution, the "state of exception” permits a wide margin of arbitrary state power that remains partially within the legal bases of a legitimate republic. These are the "democratic fictions" that, historically, enabled the oscillation between democracy and dictatorship, and that in the present, lead to the consolidation of the “double moral standard” which is at the very heart of Bolivian democracy. Bolivia is a country where there is democracy for the few and dictatorship for the many. Vast rural regions of Bolivia are subject to the law of “survival of the fittest,” where open and concealed violence is a structural feature of modern daily life, exemplified by underdevelopment, displaced populations, extreme poverty, and a total loss of popular will. For more than a decade, untried killings and repression of Indigenous peoples in the Chapara region (the center of coca cultivation) abound, and no one has been able to enforce the constitutional laws of the state. For centuries, thousands of Indigenous peoples, mestizos, cholas, and bircholas (urbanized peasants) have filled the Bolivian prisons. They are always the unyielding enemies, the silent threats to this "pigmentocratic" system in which whites or q'aras rule through a mandate that seems inherited from the depths of history Teachers and Cocaleros Forty years ago, who would have thought that teachers and cocaleros (coca growers) would be the last remnants of the classic confrontation of Bolivian politics: a unionized sector--and here we know that unionization covers a wide range of sectors entrenched in a diverse Bolivian culture--and the formal country represented by political parties and the state. The gap between these sectors continues to grow, fed by constant violence. Here is why this last national strike and the call for th state of siege hides a vaster unease: the frustration of a people who voted hoping for change, and who now see more of the same misery and repression that has not changed in centuries of q'ara domination of the Bolivian state. The ingenious conception of the "blank slate" inherent in all reformism blinded the government to this phenomenon of collective frustration over the design of a "New Bolivia." a project that, as in other times, runs the risk of remaining a propagandistic slogan. Fundamentally, none of what was promised in the elections was accomplished, beginning with the promise of 250,000 jobs. Furthermore, Bolivia Jacks even the minimal maneuvering power necessary to defend its once buoyant "illegal" economy (not only narco-trafficking, but also contraband and industrial pirating) that enjoys a flourishing stability in the North. How useful, then, is educational reform and popular· participation if the pillar of the model promised (and discerned) by the ruling coalition is crumbling to pieces? Was it merely a calculation error? Or are we, as in other conjunctures, again witnessing the sad spectacle of an oligarchic blindness or myopia of the powerful, who lack the historic sense necessary to impose, among other things, a long-lasting legitimate rule because their language (and particularly their reformist language) has decayed into a parade of lies and linguistic run-arounds? Nevertheless, the problem of the double moral standard, and the fragile legitimacy it supports, is not only a ballast of the state and its leaders. I would say that it is a key feature of Bolivian political culture, and in this sense, constitutes us as actors and shapes our perceptions, behavior, and expectations. In this case, the lack of coherence in the actions and explicit demands of the COB (Bolivian Workers Union) and the teachers is evident. The teachers' resistance to yielding union acquired privileges speaks more to corporate entrenchment than to authentic revolutionary unionism. What's more, the teachers are the main actors and principle obstacles involved in the renovation of our antiquated educational system. But who are the teachers? They are a product of the 1956 educational reform and, in this sense, also reflect the government of 1952-the same clientelistic methods, spheres of influence, and corruption. And who is the MNR (the ruling governmental party) to clean up the corruption of the educational sector? Who can really do it? In the end, even the strike is inscribed in the double moral standard. While public schooling grinds to a halt, the same teachers who are striking continue to work diligently and profitably in the private educational institutions. So, are the Capitalists not the enemies of the Workers? Why doesn't the whole educational sector come to a stop? Tragically, the most affected are the children of the very workers--rural and urban--who are the only ones left who depend on the devastated public education services. The rest--including a strained blue-collar and popular sector-support the private schools. They live as though in a different country, going to classes and dutifully following their curriculum, while the rest of us are striking. Among other factors, the professional and union conduct of the education sector has contributed to this insurmountable gulf that separates the rural from the urban, the upper and middle from the lower classes, and schools of the first, second, and last category. Popular malaise and profound and legitimate collective frustration on one side, union members and politicians increasingly distant from the collective identity on the other- this all has contributed to the consolidation of a deeply conservative authoritarian political culture apparently totally resistant to change. The state of siege summarizes, therefore, the primary failure in the scheme of government reforms being carried out by the government, and at the least will leave it with the comfort of learning that no change is possible without the participation of the protagonist and affected majority Excerpt front a longer text published in HOY (La Paz, Bolivia). Silvia Rivera is professor of sociology at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres, Bolviia. She is a member of THOA (Andean Oral History Workshop), Chukiyawu, Kollasuyu (Bolivia). 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. 9, no. 1 (Spring 1995) 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 A Neoliberal State of Siege Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring, 1995 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Neoliberal State of Siege Item Type Journal Article Author Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 20-21 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring, 1995 Language English Abstract Note On April 18, 1995, a series of strikes organized by indigenous peasants and urban teachers forced the central government of Bolivia to declare a state of siege that has lasted three months. Sociologist Silva Rivera Cusicanqui interprets the reasons behind such measures and underlines the double moral standard of current politics in Bolivia. Attachment Title A_Neoliberal_State_of_Siege.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bolivia self-determination teachers Territory https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/3cb9b845fa1a68d63cb7e1337ed01a0b.pdf f3e64718574e0367a664e65934c89fb9 PDF Text Text A Nineteenth-Century War in the Amazon: Indigenous Communities Caught in the Ecuador/ Peru Border Dispute by Fernando Rivera Indigenous people who live in the disputed area between Ecuador and Peru have faced severe hardship and danger during the latest conflict which erupted in January of this year. Forced to fight and caught in wars not of their own design, Indigenous communities in both Ecuador and Peru endured the death of some of their people in battle, the threat of mass starvation, illnesses, and the destruction of their environment. The recent fighting is an unfortunate continuation of border disputes which have divided the two countries since the wars of independence and is another example of the internal colonialism to which Indigenous peoples are subjected. Each country has based its territorial rights on different treatises and international legal concepts. Each has had its own reasons for waging war. Both Ecuador and Peru, however, have ignored the impact that such land disputes have had on the Indigenous peoples who live along their borders. With every war and every treatise, neither Ecuador nor Peru has been as negatively affected as these Indigenous communities. The territorial dispute between Ecuador and Peru has been one of the longest and most complicated land disputes on the continent. During colonial times, first the Viceroyalty of Peru and later the Viceroyalty of Gran Colombia administered the Amazonian provinces. In 1829, after gaining independence, Peru and Gran Colombia signed an agreement in which they did not establish borders, but agreed to respect the former colonial divisions. Since the borders in that region were never clearly defined, their demarcation became a topic of constant debate. In 1941 a war broke out between Ecuador and Peru which ended with the signing of the Río de Janeiro Protocol which sought to define the border between the two countries. In 1950, however, Ecuador declared the Protocol null and void because of what it believed to be technical differences in demarcating 78 kilometers of land along the Condor Cordillera. In 1981, another war broke out between the two countries. Some analysts believe that the ruling government of Ecuador began that war as a way to distract attention away from its economic problems. Similarly, some analysts believe that President Fujimori may have begun the current war in order to assure his re-election. Whatever the motive, it is the Indigenous communities along the Ecuador/Peru border that are the most affected when the two countries decide to go into battle. First, both countries force Indians to fight in the military. This makes neighboring communities along the border and binational communities (communities divided by the border) fight among each other. Much has been said recently about intra-ethnic wars all around the world, but little attention has been paid to the fact that Indian peoples in Ecuador and Peru have been forced to kill each other. Many of these people belong to the same ethnic or cultural groups, as in the case of the Shuar, Achuar, Aguaruna, Huambiza and Quichua Indians. Second, the toll of the war is felt primarily in Indigenous communities along the border where most of the fighting occurs. Hundreds of families have been displaced by the destruction of their homes, harvests, and cattle. Bombings occur regularly, and deadly diseases are spreading rapidly. "Indigenous communities have never had borders," says Mino Eusebio Castro, vice-president of AIDESEP (Indigenous Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon). "What is occurring is that there is a conflicting interests between two political groups striving for economic control. We have never been consulted over the creation of borders, yet who do they use when there is a conflict of this type? Who provides the food? Who gets recruited to fight on the front lines? Who gets affected by protecting the borders? It is the Indigenous people!" Luis Macas, president of CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador) reported that the war has directly affected 21 of the 400 Shuar centers (or communities) in the Ecuadorian Amazon because of their proximity to the border. Also, among the 30 Achuar centers, the centers closest to the border have been greatly affected. Furthermore, out of the 25 Quichua communities on both sides of the border (10 in Ecuador and 15 in Peru), the number of affected families reaches 800. Finally, other smaller bordering communities also suffer from the war. These include the Siona, Secoya, Cofan, and the Shiwiar communities. The total number of indians in Ecuador alone affected by this war reaches 20,000. If the conflict continues, Macas predicts the loss of more Indigenous lives, homes, and livelihoods. A recent article in the Quito daily El Comercio describes the social and economic effect of the war. According to the report, 180 Indigenous communities and approximately 3,000 families "are faced with a social, economic, and psychological crisis because there crops and animals have disappeared and their understanding of their own territory has been changed" since the fighting began. "Life is not the same. Tranquility has not returned to the selva since the ceasefire," said Luis Yampies, a leader of the Shuar community. "Many communities cannot return to their lands because they are mined. That was a defense strategy by the Ecuadorian military, but we are affected." In formal and informal declarations, Indigenous groups have denounced the violence and demanded that the governments of Ecuador and Peru stop the war. COICA (The Coordinating Body for the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin), an umbrella group that represents Indigenous organizations from the eight nation-states with territorial claims in the Amazon Basin, proposed the creation of a bi-national park which would demilitarize the conflict zone and guarantee peace for years to come. The proposal was born out of an impending need to protect the environment and the desire to re-integrate the Shuar and Achuar communities in Ecuador with their cultural counterparts in Peru- the Aguaruna and the Huambiza Indians. Another-perhaps more radical-declaration signed by members of both CONAlE and CONFENIAE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon), demands, among other things, that Ecuador be recognized as a "multinational, multicultural and multilingual country" (see sidebar (page 7) for extracts from the declaration) to guarantee the integrity and respect for Indigenous peoples. With all of these declarations, Indigenous leaders reiterate the importance that Indigenous participation should have in peace talks. They rightly point out that a meaningful and lasting peace will not be reached as long as the Indigenous peoples who live in the disputed territories continue to be ignored. Still, the governments of Ecuador and Peru are not listening. The government of Peru, for example, has proposed a plan to strengthen its borders by giving away Indigenous land to colonizers from different areas of the country. But peace will not come through the further colonization of Indigenous people. On the contrary, peace will only be achieved when Indigenous land is rightly and justly protected, and the Indigenous way of life secured. A joint declaration from AIDESEP and CONFENIAE states: "Nowadays, it is in vogue to speak of integration. However; we have lived for thousands of years in peaceful communion with our Indigenous neighbors on both sides of the border. Furthermore, borders that the white people created have divided communities like the Shuar, Quichua and Cofan. But we continue to feel as though we were part of one Indian continental nation: the ancient Abya Yala." Additional declarations and information from Indigenous organizations on this border conflict are in SAlIC's PeaceNet conference saiic.indio as well as on the Internet at: http:IIulwnaix.cc.ulwns.edu/-marc/geography/latinam/ecuador/border_main.html. 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. 9, no. 1 (Spring 1995) 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 A Nineteenth-Century War in the Amazon: Indigenous Communities Caught in the Ecuador/Peru Border Dispute Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernando Rivera Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1995 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Nineteenth-Century War in the Amazon: Indigenous Communities Caught in the Ecuador/Peru Border Dispute Item Type Journal Article Author Fernando Rivera Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 6-7, 38 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring, 1995 Language English Abstract Note Conflict between the Ecuadorian and Peruvian border forced indigenous peoples within the disputed territory to fight for opposing sides. Attachment Title A_Nineteenth-Century_War_in_the_Amazon.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] AIDESEP Amazon binational communities borders https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/f2dda1bd26659f3c2dc59a3dd3f7403f.pdf 7e83c327307458ad96b323e7d65c97da PDF Text Text E c o-Jusrt c E A Poisoned Culture: the case of the Indigenous Huichol Farm Workers + by Patricio Dlaz-Romo and Samuel Solino~Aivorez 'I I'I I Migrant workers and pesticides Knous mdscators of the su~uon which nug.runt \\'Orkcrs tncounttr In 1993 1t w.tS esumated that to each plaming season opproxnnatel)• 170,000 Oeld workers Qrlive m the valleys of Sinaloa. 1\n average cl 5.000 agricultural workers $Uffer from tOXtCpoiSOning 3$0 result o( the handling or. or prolonged t.'q)OSUr< to, pesll<:tdes that •rc used m cuJu,-.uon Olthe 35.000 •81'<"'hur>l labor<rs that worked m rhe S.n QUIImn Valley of B>J• C.hlom~a m 1996, 70"m:rc lod1gtnou.s Artl<l< 20o( the 11.0 Convenuon 160 emphatically calls for signatory govenuntms 10 do ~urc. because the contractOr$ do not pro-cvcr)•thmg possible to prc:v-em workers ,;de them with >.1fcty cqUtpmem, and from being subject to contractual work· btouse tht condtuon.s 10 which they lave: lng conditions dangerous to the.r htol!h. and work m the a~trotndiiS(rto! fidds pn:- panteularly ·as a con5"CIU<n<:e of their \'rolS them. lor example. from bathmg <xpo<ure to pcsuctdcs or othtr dangerous and from "-ashlng thetr clothes after subsl•nces•. bemg m contact wtth pesundes recently •PI>lied or wuh n:stdual pes!ICldes. Accordmg to researchers. the maJOrity uf the Indigenous m•grnnt workers who The cases of !>ot~nlng and dearh work m lhe agroindustrinl fields m north· (rom peSI.icidc.-s count among the most ern Mex1co are: MiXIC'COS. lflqms. 3nd ~ exposure to pesll<1dcs 1S one or the greatest nsks wt lndtgenous mtgrant workers face. In MeXICO, the tobacco oompanies with agro1ndustnal cuhh~tlon usc enormous quantlllcs of these danger· ous agrochc.mtcal produce$ ,OJithout com· plytng wllh the lnternauonal levi I'<Sinctions dCSlgntd tO prot<ct hum:tn hie The lndtgenou$ wori<us •~ esp<· Cllllly vulnerable to the pernlC:tous dfttl-' o( the pesltddes for di\'CI'SC re<~SC>ns, among thent the r..ct that they lack mlor· malton regarding the dongers or expo- 10 Zapotec> from Oaxaca. Nahuas. Munccos and TI•pcnecos from Guerrero and Purh'epechns from Michoac•n. The dcmogn•phlc data indicates a cx~remely serious shuatton According 10 Estel• Guzm~n A)'lllo, women (34%) ond ehtl· dren undtr 12 years o( age 02'4) constt· lUte 66, of the lndtgcnOUS f>bor (c>rce tn tbe ogncuhural regions In northern Mexico Ruth franco. a docror spec1:>lt:• mg m work-related health and the coor· dmator of the Progmm for D•y Loborers o( the IMSS delevtion In Slnalo:t, C51i· mOles th111 25% of rhe 200.000 workers tn the Smalo.1 valleys during the 1995· 1996 ..ason wtre children bctwtcn the agu of 5 •nd H . 01 the t blldrtn from southern Me;aco. 63% •re ht1ed by tntern~td1011c> tn thetr place or ongtn ond the rtSitn the state of Smaloa forty lour per· c<nt of these chtld laborers are female ond Ofty SIX percem male. 55% of the d11ld farm workers ha"e been workmg in the fields (or I to 5 years and 14% for over 5 years At the conclusion of the agrlcultur· al sc;uon, 72, rtturn Wl!h !httr r~mthcs to tht1r rcspecu''t States, 20$, R"m:un in Sm•loa. >nd 9% conunue along •he nug.rant v.'Orktr rome to Other desnna· uons The extenr of the mdtS<:nmlnate use of pesticides has been frequen!ly exposed and dcnaunctd 1 the Mex1a1n prtss.. his n esumJted thai thousands of used contruntrs and tOXIC n:s•ducs that an: gener.lltd by the ann~! use o( upw•rd.s o( 8 mtlhon 1ons o( pt>ttddcs arc cnmmall)• diSposed of tn •d hoc trash btns. channels. drams, mcmer.nors. ;.nd recycled to store dnnk~ fng Willtr The hannfuJ cffCC\S ()[ pt~l· cides on human health t'lnd on the en''l· ronm.ent h:we been dearly docum~med �ECO·J U ST t CE Huichol~s and p~sticides The Huicholes sptak a l~nguage belonging to Lhe uto·:Ul<'«~ linguistic f,tmoly that •lso mdudes N~huad, Hop•. ShMhon<, Comench( .1nd m."Uiy other t.ngwges m a \'liSt lftllon tlut extends nonhward to tht Umt<d Smrs and southward 1nto cenml MexiCO. Some stud~<s est•mate that betwecn 15 and 20 thousand Huicholcs. Inhabit th«:: moun· tams or the Sierrn Madre Occldemal with· in ,, territory that comprises pans of the Mexican SL>t<s of J.•Hseo, Nayam, Oumngo, and lacatcw Ynr oft<r )nr. approxonuttly -10$ of .1l1 Hutchole famJhcs t('.Wt the1r <Jommu· nutes m the dry season 10 find employ· mem. IXX>rly p01d and dnngerous. m the tabat'<o fields of the Nay>lit coast. The <."1mses of this tempornry migmuon stem rrom the socioecononuc Situa.uon or the Indigenous people and from thm ritual c-•ltnd.ar In tht rainy sc~n the llu~tholts tl':l· d1!100>lly culn\'au'd • rombmauon of conl, ch1lt, ~ans. THE "VALUABLE squ:t,.h, 0\nd runa- AND APPRECIAT· ED" HUMAN MERCHANDISE INCLUDES r " n t h Unfonunatel)•, the Mcxlcon govern· mcm $1IC:· PREGNANT WOMEN AND BABIES INCAPABLE OF promotes exactly the oppo- monocultura1 pbnung·by diS· tnbuung hybrid se-eds of com that r<qu~re the usc of pesticides and nnificl:t1 renilizcrs. r<plactng the rn~>ed seeds that CRYING, MUTE v.-trc trodluonally FROM PAIN, WHO used by Huteho!es HAVE RECENTLY BEEN BORN TO •nd other Indigenous ogn· cuhuml peoples. Monocuhure agri· MALNOURISHED culture nnd other MOTHERS modem develop· mC"nlS brt:ak down the lnd•gcnous tn1dmons of coopenmon m tht communal agncultutal work and 1ncr~3.5e.. at an at.vmmg rntt. tht tnci- dcnce or malnutrluon and olcohohsm The mtroducuon Of herbiCides like P~raquat and 2,4·0 gradually destroys commun:~.l farm practices, puts the ht31lh of cult"·ators and th<•r famihu In danger. Vot 11 No.1 and dettnorates ranntng th>l typically occurs on lnllsides. With increasingly fewer opp<Jnunlties to $Uf\•hte in •he mountrtlns, the Hu•eholcs fed forctd to mtgmtc tn $<:1r<h or work '" the tobacco f~tlds '" tht c:oasl.tl pl.lntauons of N'.l)'ant Tht HuiCholts also mtgnte for cultural rta· sons Ncgnn cll•ms that "they ha•·c the rdlgtou; nectSSit)' to vi~n the ocean, :m ancestral female f1gurc associ.1ltd with fenih· 1 3nd t h.c tanh y Once they reach '"" (OJ$[ howt\'<r, thty fmd that tf they don' work m the t.tb<tC<'O plan· HUtcholts and the loetl landowners - the huter Actmg as imermcdlarlcs between the labor force and the ' IHg tobacco c•punl - usually takes place tn the pl.w or the commumues, on the m.11n lughw-.ty•. ur ut the houses of the <mpiO)-trs Som<umes the Hutchol« osk, hesitantly, for .som~ •txtra.s-: a «M31n quantity of tOrttlla.s a da)' per f•m•ly <>r some ration or w:uer. worker< ore these For tho:<t 5Uccted. '' Is grtat ac:c:om· plishmtnt. The r<St wtll ha\'t tO drink water from the 1rngauon uuions, lht.y can- channels deriving not t'ttum home from the S•ntl.tgO to 1hr mountams_· River. one or the most comamtn~t· TabJcco Ius td in M<Xt<O, or bttn grown in from the wells of Nay.tnl \10('-t long tht rtg•on, \\·h•ch before the •mv:tl are also com~nH· of the Sp:mish. nated in th.lt, but It WO\S in the o wing 10 the 1940~ when the 11\tensive usc or tab.lC:c:o market pestictdts tn the took orr ... result zone, thc dongtr· of the Second /kMIIddpiWOIIftJe:hlbli'-'"'-""*" ous agrochtmlals World W•r The ~blto~lo:m. ha,·e k.u:htd Into muntdpalny or the •qu1ftr SantL1go lxcutmla m Naynnt 1s the Me.;..1can eapnnl or tabacOne of the reasons •hat the Hu•cholts oo production. Every year, local l.mdown· contrnct to work in the cuumg (lnd crs mcc1 1n lhcir town plazas to hire the: stringing of tobacco. and not m other Huichole workers and subcontroct them agricultural work, •s because these opera· as a chup labor for« HuJchole workers tions :lrt done tn lht 1.3tt afternoon or are •PP""'I.Itcd because their \\ork wtlh mom1ng. wh(n th~ tempcnnurt ts rnorc the tobacco lea,·cs (hang•ng ond agr<tablt compared wuh '"" h<at or th< bundhng) ts practically an •n nuddle of the d•y Dunng U.. hang1ng and bundling of the lea•·cs one stays The Hu•choles make the Journey from under the shadt or the "branches." Tht the ~1cms unde-r subhuman conduions. apparent 'ldvnmnge of working i1\ the nrrlvtng at the tobacco fields hungry • shade becomes a henlth thr<at when the thirsty ond exhausted. The "v.tlu.lble and Huteholcs arc cutting the moLSt lr:wes apprtdatcd* human mrn-hnndise: and they be<~>me wet from he<td to tot. mcludts preg.nJnt women ;;and tx\b1es Moist slun .•bsorbs pesuodts more •~•ly. lnc.opoblc or ''>'ng. mute from ~n. who Tht \'tT)' DICOCUW ln tob3cco (:aU5($ dun ha'T m:cntly bten bom to malnounshtd imtauons and hl\'es, symptoms whtch, tn mothers or mothers with tuberc:tJlosts the Untttd St>t<>, ha~e bten identified as Vulnemble tlders and t\-tn the ·s~rong" Green Tobacxoo S1ckness. men nrrivt nt these ccntcf"!i' m Wt3k con· dhion, The The children, who actively p.1nlcll)atc ncgotUn1ons belwctn the in the CUl ling of the lea\'eS. art paniculnr· ly susceptible to the harmful effectS of the 11 �Ec o - J u s TI CE pesticides and the nicotint. It is considered ..easy.. for them to work in the first ph>SC of ~1e cutting because they can gather the leaves at the base of the plams. Mexican government's health and envi· ronmental Institutions have taken the migmnt workers, in the Indigenous com· munities of1he Hukhole sierra, a.~ well as necessary measures to pro•ect the h~altl> i!'1 the principle municipalities of the tobacco zone in the coast of Nayarit. In these workshops they showed, in both furrows, cuning of the wol'kcrs that handle these toxic substances. The endemic malnutrition the leave-s. their bodies are smeared with that the Huicholc populftlion suffers Huichola and Spanish, the sticky gum t~nd resin that covtr$ the tobacco. At the same time. they inhale becomes more ~cute \vith the rise in aleo· As they work along t~e the video and absorb the residues of the toxic pesticides that hove been applied to the planes. holism. which increases during the work· ing season on the coast. This in wm Huicho!es and Pesticides. whtch includes the tesumonies of Indigenous and mesti· zo farm workers who have suffered from oggnwmes 1he tox icological problem. problems of pesticide poisoning. The families li\'C and sleep in boxes, or under blankets or plastic. beneath the T h e Huicholes and Pesticides Project •s smngs of tobacco leaves that are drying. In their makeshift shelters, they try to protect themselves from the inclement health sun during the day and from the wet cold between at night , themsth•cs undertaking a study exposing in the process to the toxic substances that cover References: latrines. Even the food is cooked beneath the hanging strings of S101emenrs by Diego Ag<ciiM Acuna. leadu of rhe Narional Union of Wag< Field 111>rkus (CTM). El Univusal, tobacco. Oceasionolly the Hmchoks use the out p."l.ying notice to the gmvc dongc•-s that this represents. since the majority cannot read the mslrtiCtions on the labels which may be wriuen in English. Other wnes 1hey bring these containers back home to the mountains as ..practic-al souvenirs"'. Pesuctdes 1\re poisons spcctfically designed to kill. They arc toxins that con· taminate and degrade- everything wilh which they come into oomaet; there are no remedies or cures against them :md. contrary to their manufacturers· clairns, they are destroying the cycles of life and the ecosystem of 1he planet and Its inhabitants. Nowmlxr 9rl•, 1993. Pmonal communfcatlon <>/ Ramiro CMd"" orwkl the ogo ol I 2ci!Ollilllte 3~ of A1't<>yo Scpul"edc1, (ltlvisor lO ""lt>digM!M la1>x (l)((t in ""o¢clltlif0f lh< Ncuional PtogY<m~ of togioos ol N011htm H•xico. Agricultural WOrkers. \\~th the Surerary of Social Devdopmtnt. Magcltdrna Gomrz. I"dfan Rlglu$. Uaurc prcs.:rued ar Indigenous and mestizo workers the 1691h Convention of tht lntttnationaf designed in coordination with the Organitcnion of \\1>rit. INI. 1991. Pg,78. La Pesticide Education Center of San jornada,july 22. 1996. Esrela G~ttman Frnncisco. California and lnch.tdes col lab· Ayala. Healrh a1 worl.: rhe case of rhe agrioration from the University of cultural workers, rtported in La)ornada. Guadalajara and the Autonomous Ap•il 19rh. 1997. pg.46. Excelsior, University of Nayarit. The study began in Ftlmcary l71h. 1996. El Universal, july 28, 1995 and includes perfomting two blood 1996. juan Negrin. The liuichol Cr<<llion of an:)lyses to dc-tennine the levels of cry· rhe World. Yam Tablas by j<>s< Bcnll<t throcyle chohnesterase. The pesticides Sanch<t and Turukila Cm·rfllo. E. B.Crocker Neither the national and tmnsnatton· al companies that manufacture pesticides. nor the tobacco producers. nor the 12 '11 inhibn the activit)' of this neurotransmitter. producing various effects on oneS Arr Gallery. Sacramcnro, CA. health. including death. As of this wming 111t outh01s work wiJb Jht HukhM•s oM Ptstitide1 Projttl in ll.~rico Gly, Mtt.K(I. For mote inf01mo6on1 plt-~m con/tXt: Hukholes y Plogllitidos~ (mjfio (txtt lot 111·9, 11560Mtxko, Mexk•. (·m1l;l: biDk@moil.inltmtJ.com.mr the study is :u the stage of data analysis in collaboration whh imponant Mexic~m non govcmmcmal organ1zations dedicated 10 the epidemiological investigation. 4 Urgent need for an investigation the large pharmaceutical companies and tob.1cco grow· crs Olre "iolating rights to infomlation and health and, in the process, are polluung land. rivers. aqu1fers, and finally the ocean. whom the the Sea" Haramarn. water, nor any empty ptSticide con· tainers w caiT)' their drmking water, w1th· in the agroindustrial fields. Huicholcs cali "Our Mother of the lca,,es. Ther:e is no potable drainage, There is no doubt that, with the massi\'C use of pesticades ll<tween 1996 and 1997. the team working on the Huicholes and Pesucides project produced vt~riO\IS mfonnational workshops on the human rights of 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. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) 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 A Poisoned Culture: the Case of the Indigenous Huichol Farm Workers Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Patricia Diaz-Romo Samuel Salinas-Alvarez Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Poisoned Culture: the Case of the Indigenous Huichol Farm Workers Item Type Journal Article Author Patricia Diaz-Romo Samuel Salinas-Alvarez Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 10-12 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1998 Language English Abstract Note Exposure to pesticides is dangerous and potentially deadly to Indigenous migrant workers. The Huichole people, being forced to leave their communities during dry seasons to find employment, suffer from farming practices and toxins. Attachment Title A_Poisoned_Culture_the_Case_of_the_Indigenous_Huichol_Farm_Workers.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Farming Huichol Mexico Toxins https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1f98971c041129de869b0d074ae2eef8.pdf 44a2446fac7c189be286b2337f23eb53 PDF Text Text A Silent Strategy "The Clothes that We Wear" The following is~ and tnmsWtd from IM book. La Ropl Que l.lsamos, by Daniel EdUArdoMI>tul Momles,and published by Uga Maylllnlmladonal, Apdo. Postal 584 Oldigo 1100, San ]UAn de Tibas, CAsta Rica. "Our Maya humanity has a beginning, a start, an origin. We havea history.n Aj Pop For us, the Maya people of Guatemala, the c.lothcs we weave and wear are an eloquent representation of our historic continuity. Within them. we record abstract and cosmic principles in mathematical and geometric figures, some simple, others so complex as to be unidentifiable, all presented in extraordinary colors. The ideas represented in our clothes, beyond their aesthetic sense, carry a central theme which corresponds to the <:osmos, which brings us to the basic source of Maya thought. It gives us a formula to Interpret humankind, our relationship with nature, a.n d with God. We usc this formula for connecting the present and the past, and to remind us of our uncompromising decision to be free and original, like our ancestors. Our dothcs are genuine, well-defined, and revealing of our philosophy, customs, value system and collective consciousness. The fact that we wear them daily makes them an instrument for historic projection; it is a powerful social discipline. The main idea behind the clothes we wear has its roots in the original reflections of our civilization which can be traced back five to six-thousand years ago. The idea is that when a human is born, s/he is completely integrated into the Cosmos. Humankind and nature only make up tiny 30 parts of the total Cosmos. While conserving this cosmovision in our clothes, we are complying with our people's mandate. So the beauty and colorfulness of our weavings arc not merely aesthetically pleasing. but a brilliant way of keeping our writings and fundamental symbols alive. However, there is also a desire to protect these symbols from the greed of outsiders. Thus, in our wcavings we often present these symbols for the world to sec, but they go undccipheml and overlooked. They remain mute for those who don't Wlderstand their meaning. but they arc evocative elements when you know how to interpret them. Often, their main message remains hidden to those whose narrow vision impedes them from tuning into t.h e ancient expression of our collective art. It must also be mentioned that our art is not "art for art's sake," which would be absurd. Our woven messages are a silent strategy, within which is found a deep and fruitful knowledge which promotes respect Ph«o by Jmoe MinJr. and searches for equilibrium among people and nature. This equilibrium guarantees human survival. Thus, with our colors and designs, we have been struggling for five centuries against the destruction of our historical, social, psychological and mythological concepts. With plants, flowers and vegetables, we attempt to fonn consciousness of, and appreciation for the natural environment, in which everything has great value. It was nature's interaction with humankind which gave birth to our civilization. Our weaving is our way of admiring the world, but at the same time, we are transformed each day, SAIIC Newsletter �as the entire world is, even though it appears the same each dawn. Ourdothescanysymbolsthat teach one to 1espect one's place or origin, social status, and mythology. Some symbols, like those or Coban, tell or the romance between the Sun and the Moon in the framework or a magic scene or leaves, birds and day pots. In this legend, the Moon wove for the Sun, a gift which told or the day's events. In this way, we learn that life Is nothing more than the weaving or time. We have suffered since 1524, when the Invaders arrived. Our clothes have served as an expression or our solidarity and identification wherever we go. This is why we have kept our Native dress. For a very long time, the colors and figures we use have been chosen careruny without arbitrariness. They arc the result or systematic observa· tions. The four cardinal points illustrate this well. North is represented by white, because the clouds arc believed to come from there. The moon is also symbolized by white and the North. The South is symbolized by yellow, in tribute to the fertility or com and the legend or the Cosmic Tree which bore fruit in the union between the Sky and the Earth. The cross, in our ancient tradition, represents the four winds, the direction or the heavens, the four sides of our com fields, and the four cardinal points. When the cross has leaves on i~ this symbollz.es a very tall tree which, according to the Pop Wuj (Popol Yuh· the sacred book of the Quiche Maya), bore the fruits of life. "This cross is dearly visible in the sky on starry nights in the South. The East is ,ymbolized by red, the color or hope. It represents sunrise and eternity. West is symbolized by black, the death or light and the restive period begun at day's end. So we sec it is no coincidence that in our lives today, the link between people and their clothes remains ever strong, prevailing in Maya though~ because they bring us physlcal comfort and spiritual satisfaction. Archeology confinns the development of our garments. The murals or ancient Maya cemnonies in Bonampak provide testimony or how leaders, priests, chiefs and others of historical standing wore many kinds or precious jewelry, deerskin sandals, and woven clothes. The lower body was covered by an apron-like garment embel· llshed with brocade, embroidery, feathers and jewels. The upper body was covered with a huipll, shells, necklaces, beads, jade, metal and gems. Today, the huipils or Olimaltenango, San Pedro Sacatep6tuez, and San Pedro Ayampuc display a design Vol6 Nos 1&2 called "rush mat," which is the same as the one which appears In the sculpted figures of Stele 'H' or Quirigu<i.ln most huipils, the square is brocaded in a diamond position. "This can be seen in Untel24 at Yaxchil<in. Similarly, the jacket which appears in the woman's outfit at Yaxchil<1n is found stylized on many of the weavingsof the Western and Central Highlands. figure 54 or Codex Trocortesla.no clearly shows lxchel, the goddess of the Moon, weaving at her loom. The loom Is tied around her waist and to a tree, exactly like Mayan women today. Weaving has always been a sacred task. Usually, when a new piece is begun, a prayer is offered to the heart of the sky. And still, as before, our people value the role or the Maya woman as a historical thread that carries our deepest cultural roots. Our mythology states that Itz.amna, founder of Uxmal and Chichtm Itz<l, had lxchel as a consort. lxchcl was the one who taught us to weave, and also taught embroidery to her daughter, lxchebcl Yax. Spanish colonists gave vague, foggy descriptions or our dothes. Of course, this had to be the case; how could they understand a culture they ridiculed and discriminated against? We are sure that U we had abandoned wearing our clothes, they'd have been instantly hoarded away in museums. Today, wearing our cher· ishcd clothes makes us the focus or discrimination, humiliation, scorn and persecution in our country. The children of the invaders want to destroy the Maya culture. Ourdu1dren arc prohibited from wearing their own dress to school, yet the invade< portrays as quaint our abstract vision or the world and or life. The selling or our clothes is a very big international business today. The majority or the merchants arc ruthless non-Indian people who do not understand, nor care to understand the ancient symbolism. However, after 500 years of oppn$Sion, our custom or weaving our dothcs is s1ill going strong. As time goes on, we find our designs and colors more beautiful, and they introduce us to a vast universe or composition which reveals the dvoniclcs or Maya ure, from the earliest times to the brilliant future. They arc the testimony or our legiti· mate right to exist as a civilization, as a culture, and as a people. 31 � 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. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) 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 A Silent Strategy: "The Clothes that We Wear" Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Daniel Eduardo Matul Morales Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Silent Strategy: "The Clothes that We Wear" Item Type Journal Article Author Daniel Eduardo Matul Morales Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 30-31 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note The Importance of Native Clothing and Patterns Attachment Title A_Silent_Strategy_The_Clothes_That_We_Wear.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] art clothing Guatemala Maya https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/da339a4a16357da7208d2df9b5df63dd.pdf fbcf5bb54385425345cc3980023360d2 PDF Text Text A VICTORY FORTH E PEOPLE OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON (Peru) On September 19th, the Peruvian Minister of Energy and Mines publicly announced that Texas Crude had decided not to sign a contract to explore for oil in Lot 61, home to some 180 Amaz.onian indigenous and nonindigenous river communities for whom the park and its resources constitute their sole means of survival. One year ago, newly~lected President Alberto Fujimori signed a landmark environmental code prohibiting the exploitation of non-renewable natural resources and banning oil drilling in the nation's parks and reserves. In April of 1991, under pressure from powerful economic interests, Fujirnori reversed his position and granted the Houston-based Texas Crude Incorporated a vast tract of rainforest, known as Lot 61. Opposition to the Corporation's plans to begin oil exploration developed immediately as national environmental and indigenous groups discovered that over three-quarters of Lot 61 lay within the Pacaya Sarniria reserve in Peru's northern Amazon jungle. It is the oldest and largest protected area in Peru's national park system. The ptospect that Pacaya Sarniria- already contaminated by the activities of petroleum companies allowed to operate in the reserve prior to the passing of the environmental code- could be further jeopardized galvanized local, national and international opposition. l.n june, a local priest, along with AIDESEP {Association of Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon) organized a general strike in the jungle town of Jquitos, and succeeded in brieOy paralyzing the community. Two months later, AIOESEP issued a declaration denouncing the Peruvian government's manipulation of environmental codes and its willingness to grant transnational corporations a dcgrcc of security never 16 acoorded to Peru's own citizens. A document prepared at AIDESEI"s 15th General Assembly stated that "neither the people nor the environment bear the responsibility for the extreme poverty our country faces. White this poverty may indeed require urgent remedies, actions which threaten to irreversibly destroy food and natural resources cannot be justified, particularly since the presumed wealth which will be generated will never be seen by the people." Internationally, San Francisco's Rainforest Action Network launched a joint campaign with Global Response to bornbard Texas Crude headquarters with !etten protesting the proposed project. The President of Texas Crude cited numerous reasons for the corporation's decision, including: the threat of legal action by the Peruvian Environmental Law Society (SPOA); the "substantial number of letters endeavoring to discourage exploration for environmental reasons" (over 1000 !etten were sent!); and the recent letter sent to President Fujimori by 54 Peruvian house representatives and senators showing their disapproval of the contract. In early October the Peruvian Ministry of Enetgy and Mines began negotiations with the U$-based Santa Fe Energy Rcsourccs Company for two other oil exploration tots, both outside of Pacaya Samiria. Although the contract has yet to be signed, and must be approved by the full Peruvian cabinet, it is considered likely that the project will be given the go-ahead given the extreme economic situation Peru is confronting. It is important to note, however, that Santa Fe Energy and Resources specifically opposed any contract involving areas within national reserves or parks, stating that the environmental concerns were too great. SAIIC Newsletter � 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. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) 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 A Victory for the People of the Peruvian Amazon Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Victory for the People of the Peruvian Amazon Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 16 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note President Fujimori denies oil tycoon request for land. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p016.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Fujimori Alberto Peru Peruvian Amazon https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/3ab59df59d76a45a3e9e86f0fc072b0d 6510ccb6a9a5c2edc7cb1d8293ea20f0 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. 5, nos. 2&3 (39).pdf PDF Text Text ABOUT SAIIC's goals are to promote peace and social justice for Indian People: 1) by providing information to the general public in the U.S., and to human rights and solidarity organizations regarding the struggles for survival and self-determination of Indian peoples of South and Meso America; 2) by facilitating exchange and promoting direct communication and understanding between Indian people. SAIIC's projects and programs include: 1) publication of the Newsletter (now available in Spanish and English) and other special publications; 2) Indian visitors program; 3) human rights advocacy; 4) radio program; 5) Amazonian Indian support project; 6) 500 Years campaign; 7) public presentations, 8) Central American Indian support project. SAIIC welcomes all contributions! The SAIIC radio program "South and The newsletter, Radio program, and other Meso American Indian Update" is aired the projects are financed by donations from our third Friday of each month at 8:00pm on supporters. Your generosity is appreciated. All KPFA-FM, 94.1 in Northern California. donations are tax deductible to the extent Do have time or skms you allowed by law. To receive the SAIIC newsletter for one would like year (we try hard to make it a quarterly publication), please send a donation of US $10 for addresses in the United States, Mexico, or Canada or US $12 for addresses elsewhere. contribute to SAIIC? We are always looking for volunteers willing to assist with newsletter and radio show producticm, office work, fundralsing, artwork, and with our visitors program. AMAZONIA RESOURCE AND ACTION GUIDE SAIIC has co-authored a special publication designed to give added force to grassroots groups in the Amazon fighting in defense of the rainforest and basic human rights for the Indigenous people there. The Resource Guide, published in conjunction with the Rainforest Action Network, Amazonia Film Project, and International Rivers Network includes information about grassroots organizing, issues confronting the people of the forest, a directory of hundreds of support groups worldwide, and lists of important books and films on the Amazon. The Guide will be available in early March. Write to SAIIC for information on how to obtain a copy. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Coordination: Nilo Cayuqueo Editing, design, layout: Peter G. Veilleux SAIIC extends thanks to the following people for their generous support for this newsletter: Vanguard Foundation, Peace Development Fund, Onaway Trust, AFSC, Church of Christ for the Homeland Ministries, Methodist Church- Latin American Division, David Balsam, Kay Cole, Elizabeth Draper, Helen Gildred, and Maya Miller. SAIIC Members are: Nilo Cayuqueo, Xihuanel Huerta, Gina Pacaldo, Carlos Maibeth, Wara Alderete, Isidro Gali, Daniel Hernandez, Guillermo Padilla, Glenn Switkes, Lucilene Whitesell, Monti Aguirre, Peter Veilleux, Maria Souza, Ellen Speicer, Nickie Irvine, Rodrigo Betancur, James Muneta, Julio Leon, Alfredo Saynes. Special thanks to the following people who have been a great help with this newsletter: Tim Allen, Ian McWilliam, Francine Pereny, Steve Sasoyev, Simon Kenrick, Rolando Ramirez, Judy Wells, David Laue!, Wes Huss, Karen Crump Angela Gennino and Lynnda Gray. I � 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. 5, Nos. 2&amp;3 (Fall 1989 &amp; Winter 1990) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1989 & Winter 1990 Zotero Issue 2 & 3 Language English Publication Title SAIIC Volume 5 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 About SAIIC, Amazonia Resource and Action Guide, and Acknowledgements Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Article 2 & 3 Language A language of the resource English 2 & 3 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1989 & Winter 1990 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource 2 & 3 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2 & 3 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource 2 & 3 Description An account of the resource 2 & 3 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 2 & 3 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2 & 3 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available 2 & 3 Relation A related resource 2 & 3 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 2 & 3 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived 2 & 3 Subject The topic of the resource 2 & 3 Zotero Title About SAIIC, Amazonia Resource and Action Guide, and Acknowledgements 2 & 3 Item Type Newspaper Article 2 & 3 Attachment Title Vol. 5, nos. 2&3 (39).pdf 2 & 3 Attachment URL [No URL] 2 & 3 Language English Volume 5 Artist 2 & 3 Attorney Agent 2 & 3 Book Author 2 & 3 Cartographer 2 & 3 Cast Member 2 & 3 Commenter 2 & 3 Composer 2 & 3 Contributor 2 & 3 Cosponsor 2 & 3 Counsel 2 & 3 Director 2 & 3 Editor 2 & 3 Guest 2 & 3 Interviewee 2 & 3 Interviewer 2 & 3 Inventor 2 & 3 Performer 2 & 3 Podcaster 2 & 3 Presenter 2 & 3 Producer 2 & 3 Programmer 2 & 3 Recipient 2 & 3 Reviewed Author 2 & 3 Scriptwriter 2 & 3 Series Editor 2 & 3 Sponsor 2 & 3 Translator 2 & 3 Words By 2 & 3 Note 2 & 3 DOI 2 & 3 ISBN 2 & 3 ISSN 2 & 3 Access Date 2 & 3 Application Number 2 & 3 Archive 2 & 3 Archive Location 2 & 3 Artwork Medium 2 & 3 Artwork Size 2 & 3 Assignee 2 & 3 Audio File Type 2 & 3 Audio Recording Format 2 & 3 Bill Number 2 & 3 Blog Title 2 & 3 Book Title 2 & 3 Call Number 2 & 3 Case Name 2 & 3 Code 2 & 3 Code Number 2 & 3 Code Pages 2 & 3 Code Volume 2 & 3 Committee 2 & 3 Company 2 & 3 Conference Name 2 & 3 Country 2 & 3 Court 2 & 3 Date 2 & 3 Date Decided 2 & 3 Date Enacted 2 & 3 Dictionary Title 2 & 3 Distributor 2 & 3 Docket Number 2 & 3 Document Number 2 & 3 Edition 2 & 3 Encyclopedia Title 2 & 3 Episode Number 2 & 3 Extra 2 & 3 Filing Date 2 & 3 First Page 2 & 3 Forum Title 2 & 3 Genre 2 & 3 History 2 & 3 Institution 2 & 3 Interview Medium 2 & 3 Issue 2 & 3 Issue Date 2 & 3 Issuing Authority 2 & 3 Journal Abbreviation 2 & 3 Label 2 & 3 Legal Status 2 & 3 Legislative Body 2 & 3 Letter Type 2 & 3 Library Catalog 2 & 3 Manuscript Type 2 & 3 Map Type 2 & 3 Medium 2 & 3 Meeting Name 2 & 3 Name of Act 2 & 3 Network 2 & 3 Num Pages 2 & 3 Number 2 & 3 Number of Volumes 2 & 3 Pages 39 Patent Number 2 & 3 Place 2 & 3 Post Type 2 & 3 Presentation Type 2 & 3 Priority Numbers 2 & 3 Proceedings Title 2 & 3 Program Title 2 & 3 Programming Language 2 & 3 Public Law Number 2 & 3 Publication Title SAIIC Publisher 2 & 3 References 2 & 3 Report Number 2 & 3 Report Type 2 & 3 Reporter 2 & 3 Reporter Volume 2 & 3 Rights 2 & 3 Running Time 2 & 3 Scale 2 & 3 Section 2 & 3 Series 2 & 3 Series Number 2 & 3 Series Text 2 & 3 Series Title 2 & 3 Session 2 & 3 Short Title 2 & 3 Studio 2 & 3 Subject 2 & 3 System 2 & 3 Thesis Type 2 & 3 University 2 & 3 URL 2 & 3 Version 2 & 3 Video Recording Format 2 & 3 Website Title 2 & 3 Website Type 2 & 3 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/728ecbc86cf08efc6c99351cd8614054.pdf ab8763995d3925383bc78cc7a184e4b7 PDF Text Text --------------------------------~~ N DIG EN 0 U ~ S~-~ O M E~ ~~~~ N~~Q R_G A _N I~ I ~~ ~~ ~c ~ Z~ N G Absent Visions: A Commentary on the Women's Conference in Beijing year more than 28.000 women nication hampered the preparatory comi· rom 185 countries met to auend e Founh World Conference of Women, from the 4th to the 15th of September. in the city of Oeijing, China. This conference was organized by the United Nations in order to receive the input of women from all parts of the world to influence the Platform of Action, nental meeting in Ecuador where some 150 women from 24 nationalities and communities met to elabor.:~te their pro* posals to be sent to Beijing. The meeting took place later than planned, and as a result the Indigenous women's' proposals were not received in time to be submitted in the final document or the Platform of a document on womenS rights, which Action. U was on the United Nations' agenda. The limited preparation and panicipation or Indigenous women in the conference is due to many factors beyond the control of the Delegation of Lmin American Indigenous Women. Unfol1llll.1lcly, as other sources have said, the organizational Structure and the agenda of the confer· ence did not offer equal conditions of participation to lndigenous women. From the beginning. there was a lim· ited Oow of information between Indigenous and non-indigenous women. The fonner had liule access to contacts. infom1ation, and financial resources. From the level of the United Nations to the non-governmental organiuuions, space was not granted them as organized people. This was one of the biggest complaints that came out of the Meeting of Indigenous Women of the First Nations of Abya Yala, held from july 31 to August 4. l99.5. in Ecuador. The location of the conference made it hard for Indigenous women to attend. Only 30 Indigenous women arrived, an abysmal number (consider the number of Indigenous nations in the Americas). Getting funds to cover the ~'OSIS of the Oight was a great difficult)<Thus. in spite of the huge interest they expressed to aucnd this event. they were once again not able to panake in decision making processes that will affect their lives. As stated above, the same financial factors and lack of suppon and commuVol. 10 No. 1 ln spile of these lim_ itations. their pro· posals were presented in writing to the conference. Their document presented the vision of Indigenous wonwn or Abya Yala. emphtlsizing the challenges of selfdetennination and the survh'lll as a dis· tinct peoples. Among others. the Declaration of Indigenous Women in lleijing put forward the following propos· als and demands: (1) Recognize and respect our right to sclf-detemlinatton; (2) Recognize and respect our right to our territories and de.vclopm.em, e:du~ cation. and health; (3) Slop h\tma.n rights violations and all forms of violence against Indigenous worn en.: (4) Recognize and respect our cui· tural and intellectual inheritance and our right to control the biological di\oer· sity in our territories; (5) AsS<tre the political panicipation of Indigenous women and amplify their er. emphasized the economic problems that affect women, the globalization of the economy, and international womenS rights-terms and concepts that few Indigenous women h..·we experienced directly. Another issue was the Indigenous \~~men~ Delegations concern over the agreement in Beijing that an investig.uion · occur on Indigenous knowledge of health and management of naturol resources. Indigenous women want to take pan in the study and not only be its objects. They recognize the nece.<Sh)• of their panicipation so that the study include the Indigenous vision. If one analyzes the theme of "human rights· in the Beijing proposal. it becomes clear that Indigenous women envision these ' rights' differently. Indigenous women do nol see them· selves as competing with men. They have a more integral vision of them~ selves-not as individuals. but more as pan of a community. In situations where women work in the formal economy. the resulting rnemality is a competition belween women and men. for most indigenous women, work is something shared in a community. and not a competition. Thus, the right of equality between Indigenous men and women is inseparable rrorn this systen'l of production where the concept of capabilities and their a<:cess to rcsourc.;:s. . dualily predominates, meaning that Essentially. the document stressed ma_ and worn.an complement each n Indigenous tcnitory as a key for the e.xis· other in what they think. do, and say. Jndigcnous womenS lack or particitence of Indigenous peoples. it also touched on intellectual propeny rights, pation was a significant weakness in which the women felt should be respect· lleijing. It illustrates the necessity for us ed. it also called for the ratification of to devise new smucgies so that our International L.1bor Organization (ILO) vision can become an integral compocConvention 169 along \vlth other decla· nenl of lhe broader womenS mo\r rations on the rights of Indigenous peo· ment. a presence to be recognized espe· pies. The Plan of Action of the World dally during watershed encounters like Conference of Women in Beijing. howev- the Beijing conference . .., 13 � 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. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) 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 Absent Visions: A Commentary on the Women's Conference in Beijing Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Absent Visions: A Commentary on the Women's Conference in Beijing Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 10 Issue 1 1 Pages 13 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English, Spanish English Abstract Note 28.000 women from 185 countries met to attend the Fourth World Conference of Women, but there were many factors that caused the imited panicipation of Indigenous women. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p13.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Beijing Fourth World Conference of Women Indigenous women