Mexican Identity Politics and their role in Indigenous Land Rights

Written by: Alondra Jara

Portrait of Marichuy. Credit: Sopitas.com

María de Jesús Patricio, also known as Marichuy, is a Nahua medicine woman from Jalisco, Mexico and a representative for the National Indigenous Congress (CNI). She is the first indigenous woman to run for president. After losing the Mexican presidential election, she continues to be a human rights activist fighting for indigenous rights.

The man who won the election is Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO. He was very popular with voters for promising to fight corruption within the government and improve the economy. He recently released a video asking for the Spanish government to apologize for its crimes against Mexico’s indigenous peoples during Spain’s conquest exactly 500 years ago. He considered these to be human rights violations. The Spanish government responded refusing to apologize, “La llegada, hace quinientos años, de los españoles a las actuales tierras mexicanas no puede juzgarse a la luz de consideraciones contemporáneas.” They believe that the situation cannot be judged using a contemporary perspective.

While some applauded AMLO for taking a stance against Spain for what they did, indigenous activists, like Marichuy, came out to criticize his statements. She and other activists believe that he should be taking more action and working to help the descendants of those same indigenous communities instead of asking for an apology that will ultimately not help indigenous communities with current issues they are facing. Marichuy brought up AMLO’s recent plans to improve Mexico’s economy that ultimately can harm indigenous peoples. AMLO claims to consult with important stakeholders, like the indigenous communities with land that is affected by these projects. Marichuy says, “[P]ero no les dicen que ya no van a tener agua, bosques, animales, eso no se dice y se debería de decir para que fuera realmente una consulta bien.” She claims that the communities are not told about how the projects will ultimately affect them, the water, the land, or animals. In order for the consultations to be productive, these things must be said.

This is a continuation of the identity politics Mexico has had since the beginning after its colonization. Over time, a majority of Mexicans became a mix of indigenous and Spanish ancestry. “We are all indigenous” or “We all come from the same place” are common statements. However, there are still many indigenous communities still present. Too often, Mexicans without ties to actual indigenous tribes want to be able to benefit from indigenous culture when it is convenient. There are many current issues, like poverty affecting indigenous peoples in Mexico, but the government does little to respond.

Sculpture of Cortez and Malinche in Mexico. Credit: Wordpress

Through the work of indigenous activists who continue fighting for their rights and bringing attention to the issues they are facing, they can hopefully begin to make the changes necessary to make Mexico a more inclusive nation.

Sources

“Critica ‘Marichuy’ Solicitud De Disculpas De AMLO a España.” El Universal, 28 Mar. 2019, www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/critica-marichuy-solicitud-de-disculpas-de-amlo-espana.

Hernández, R. Aída. “Indigenous Law and Identity Politics in Mexico: Indigenous Men's and Women's Struggles for a Multicultural Nation.” Political and Legal Anthropology Review, vol. 25, no. 1, 2002, pp. 90–109. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24498016.

“It Is the Time of the People: MarÍa De Jesús Patricio Martínez.” Cultural Survival, Sept. 2017, www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/it-time-people-maria-de-jesus-patricio-martinez.

Popescu, Lucy. “The Hidden Monument (Malinchismo).” The Hidden Monument, 4 Aug. 2009, lucypopescu.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/malinchismo/.

“¿Por Qué Marichuy No Reunió Las Firmas?” Sopitas.com, 27 Feb. 2018, www.sopitas.com/noticias/marichuy-no-reunio-firmas-ine/.