N áhuatl mandatory in public schools in Mexico City

Mon Aug 20 18:01:56 UTC 2007

That is a debateable point. Mexico has had extraordinary minds who  
had official positions in the Government and yet represented the  
interests of the nation and the Indigenous population, Narciso  
Bassols is a prime example,  Bonfil Batalla another one, he who  
faught for Indianismo (as opposed to Indigenismo) while heading the  
Instituto Nacional Indigenista.

But they are the exceptions that confirm the rule.

Marcos

On Aug 20, 2007, at 11:04 AM, John Sullivan, Ph.D. wrote:

> Douglas and Marcos,
> 	The general rule, according to my experience, is that the offering  
> of government positions is one step in the standard procedure for  
> buying out/ silencing leaders of social/political movements in  
> Mexico. So, by definition, an indigenous leader would not be able  
> to hold a government position, and continue to represent the  
> interests of indians.
> John
>
> John Sullivan, Ph.D.
> Profesor de lengua y cultura nahua
> Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas
> Instituto de Docencia e Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas, A.C.
> Tacuba 152, int. 47
> Centro Histórico
> Zacatecas, Zac. 98000
> México
> Oficina: +52 (492) 925-3415
> Fax: +52 (492) 925-3416
> Domicilio: +52 (492) 768-6048
> Celular: +52 (492) 118-0854
> idiez at mac.com
> www.idiez.org.mx
> www.macehualli.org
> <John Sullivan, Ph.D..vcf>
>
>
>
> On Aug 20, 2007, at 1:20 AM, Marcos Villaseñor wrote:
>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>> On Aug 19, 2007, at 4:55 PM, Douglas Hinds wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>> I am looking forward to read what the Indigenous leaderships says
>>>> about the subject.
>>>
>>>> Marcos
>>>
>>> In response to your request (plus I too am interested) I was able to
>>> discuss this with Jesus, the ex-head of Sedesol's indigenous support
>>> program who is also Secretary General of the Consejo Supremo
>>> Nacional Indigena, an organization originally formed in 1521 (the
>>> first time the various indigenous "ethnias" had banded together) in
>>> order to preserve their culture at the point they realized that the
>>> invading forces could not be stopped (Guns, Germs and Steel?).
>>>
>>> During the 90's the CSNI was reestablished as an Asociación Civil
>>> (non profit organization). However, when Amalia Garcia refused Fox's
>>> offer to head the Social Development Secretariat, that position was
>>> claimed by the party Fox used to get into power. (For those unaware,
>>> Mexico's electoral processes are publicly funded -something the USA
>>> sorely needs- and the funds are channelled only through political
>>> parties).
>>>
>>> Then, the split between Mexico's National Indigenous Institute (INI)
>>> and the Interamerican Indigenous Institute (III) became even
>>> greater, when Fox changed the name to something totally different,
>>> ignoring the Pazquaro Accords Mexico signed in the 1940's.
>>>
>>> Although the last PRI government helped form the CSNI originally,
>>> the group is interested in establishing it's own political presence
>>> in order to achieve the degree of autonomy that the constitution
>>> (and the C169) indicates, particularly in the municipalities (which
>>> include rural areas in Mexico - city governments do not exist as
>>> such, except for the Federal District D.F.) in which they constitute
>>> a majority and yet, often lack even a single councilman (regidor).
>>>
>>> Doing this requires resources that should be available this year or
>>> next. (I thought that this might be of interest to some of you,
>>> particularly any in Mexico that might want to collaborate).
>>>
>>> Getting back to Marcelo Ebrand's initiative, Jesus wasn't sure
>>> whether the measure is obligatory or not but thought that it was and
>>> in any case, it begins tomorrow (Monday). He too wondered where they
>>> were going to get all the nahuatl instructors this will take.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately I still couldn't get through to Santiago in
>>> Tamazunchale but I'll try again at 6 am tomorrow. IAC, Jesus agreed
>>> that Santiago probably teaches *in* Nahuatl but doesn't teach
>>> Nahuatl itself (although I suppose he could).
>>>
>>> It seems to me that if they're going to teach Nahuatl they ought to
>>> teach the culture also.
>>>
>>> I could also check with another PRD govt. near el D.F. (Edomex) that
>>> might know more about this, since it's a PRD initiative and we have
>>> an established relationship with that particular local govt.
>>>
>>> Another thing - I used to teach language and IMO, 3 or 4 classes a
>>> week of 2-3 hours each are needed in order to do much good and if
>>> it's any less than that I doubt that it will take on much
>>> significance, educationally speaking.
>>>
>>> Douglas Hinds
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Nahuatl mailing list
>>> Nahuatl at lists.famsi.org
>>> http://www.famsi.org/mailman/listinfo/nahuatl
>>>
>>
>>
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