In the class reading “The Hold Life Has,” Catherine Allen talks about her life as an ethnographer living among indigenous peoples and discusses their culture and ways of life. A major aspect of the indigenous culture is the growth and usage of coca leaves. The leaves have been used in the Andes by the natives for generations. However, these leaves are unfortunately also used to create cocaine. With the United States’ “War on Drugs,” the coca leaves have become a source of contention between local governments, who see the leaves as a potential drug violence problem, and indigenous societies that see growing the leaves as a cultural right. One indigenous group that championed native causes like the coca leaves was the Zapatista Army of National
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Provisions that the Mexican government had put into its constitutions were later watered down, especially sections most important for indigenous rights. The expanded autonomy over their land and natural resources that they had been promised were taken away. In addition, the government decided to not honor its signing of the San Andres Accords, one of the documents that gave the indigenous rights.2 These failures lead to the world’s focus to move on to other indigenous movements that looked more successful like Evo Morales’ Movement toward Socialism in Bolivia.1 To this day, the Zapatista movement continues to steadily publish communiques against military and political attacks along with land grabs by the Mexican government. In addition, the movement speaks against paramilitary forces that continue to be present in Zapatista communities. However, the media has largely disregarded them. 2 Another problem that lead to the demise is that the movement itself does not encourage attention. After periods of protests, conventions, and communiqués, the Zapatista will withdraw into its communities for long stages of silence.1 With Subcomandante Marcos, the charismatic leader and champion of the movement, declaring his figurative death from the leadership role, many journalists have declared this movement that once rocked the world “dead or dying for …show more content…
There are over 35 Zapatista communities in Chiapas, which is very rural and over 7,000 feet above sea level. The members wear masks to cover their faces as a method of resistance and protests, calling themselves “the Faceless.”3 Thus, in its own small way the movement continues its initial goals of resisting discrimination. The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas Felipe Arizmendi stated that “the EZLN remains alive, not as a military option, but as a social and political organization that fights for dignified life. It is an effort to demonstrate that autonomy is possible; you don’t have to depend on the government.”1 Each part of its way of life shows autonomy from the Mexican government. The Zapatista demonstrate through its community that actions speak louder than words. By instituting its philosophies, the Zapatista has changed its community politically, economically, and
Provisions that the Mexican government had put into its constitutions were later watered down, especially sections most important for indigenous rights. The expanded autonomy over their land and natural resources that they had been promised were taken away. In addition, the government decided to not honor its signing of the San Andres Accords, one of the documents that gave the indigenous rights.2 These failures lead to the world’s focus to move on to other indigenous movements that looked more successful like Evo Morales’ Movement toward Socialism in Bolivia.1 To this day, the Zapatista movement continues to steadily publish communiques against military and political attacks along with land grabs by the Mexican government. In addition, the movement speaks against paramilitary forces that continue to be present in Zapatista communities. However, the media has largely disregarded them. 2 Another problem that lead to the demise is that the movement itself does not encourage attention. After periods of protests, conventions, and communiqués, the Zapatista will withdraw into its communities for long stages of silence.1 With Subcomandante Marcos, the charismatic leader and champion of the movement, declaring his figurative death from the leadership role, many journalists have declared this movement that once rocked the world “dead or dying for …show more content…
There are over 35 Zapatista communities in Chiapas, which is very rural and over 7,000 feet above sea level. The members wear masks to cover their faces as a method of resistance and protests, calling themselves “the Faceless.”3 Thus, in its own small way the movement continues its initial goals of resisting discrimination. The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas Felipe Arizmendi stated that “the EZLN remains alive, not as a military option, but as a social and political organization that fights for dignified life. It is an effort to demonstrate that autonomy is possible; you don’t have to depend on the government.”1 Each part of its way of life shows autonomy from the Mexican government. The Zapatista demonstrate through its community that actions speak louder than words. By instituting its philosophies, the Zapatista has changed its community politically, economically, and