CART: 0 item(s) $0.00Mayan Lives, Mayan Utopias: The Indigenous Peoples of Chiapas and the Zapatista Rebellion
Series: Latin American Perspectives in the Classroom
| Edited by Jan Rus, Rosalva Aída Hernández Castillo, and Shannan L. Mattiace |
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. | |||||||||||||||||
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"This edited collection is essential reading for anyone desiring a historically complex and ethnographically and politically sophisticated understanding of the roots of the Capatista rebellion and its impact on Mayan indigenous communities.
Mayan Lives, Mayan Utopies is an outstanding text that offers one of the most complex, honest, and sophisticated analyses of the impact of the Zapatista rebellion on indigenous peoples in Mexico and on the political future of the Mexican nation."—Lynn Stephen, University of Oregon, The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
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The dramatic January 1, 1994, emergence of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) in Chiapas, Mexico, brought the state's indigenous peoples to the attention of the international community. Yet indigenous peoples in Chiapas had been politically active and organized for years prior to the uprising. This compelling volume examines in detail these local and regional histories of power and resistance, powerfully bolstered by gripping and heartrending details of oppression and opposition. Situated broadly within the field of political anthropology, the authors trace the connections between indigenous culture and indigenous resistance. Their case studies include the Tzotzils and Tzeltals of the highland region, the Tojolabals of eastern Chiapas, northern Ch'ol communities, the Mams of eastern and southeastern Chiapas, and the settler communities of the Lacandon rain forest. In the wake of the Chiapas rebellion, all of these groups have increasingly come together around common goals, the most important of which is autonomy. Three essays focus specifically on the issue of Indian autonomy—in both Zapatista and non-Zapatista communities.
Offering a consistent and cohesive vision of the complex evolution of a region and its many cultures and histories, this work is a fundamental source for understanding key issues in nation building. In a unique collaboration, the book brings together recognized authorities who have worked in Chiapas for decades, many linking scholarship with social and political activism. Their combined perspectives, many previously unavailable in English, make this volume the most authoritative, richly detailed, and authentic work available on the people behind the Zapatista movement.
Features
—Subtantive general introduction and part introductions offer students context and background for understanding the readings
—Unique in its detailed descriptions of local and regional histories
—Includes the work of the most respected and knowledgeable scholars and activists in the field.
—Maps and photos enrich the text
List of Contributors
José Alejos García, Andrés Aubry, Araceli Burguete Cal y Mayor, George A. Collier, Christine Eber, Gustavo Esteva, Rosalva Aída Hernández Castillo, Xóchitl Leyva Solano, Shannan L. Mattiace, and Jan Rus.
About the Editors
Jan Rus is director of the Native Language Publishing Project, Instituto de Asesoría Antropológica para la Región Maya, A.C., San Cristóbal, Chiapas. Rosalva Aída Hernández Castillo is a senior researcher at the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS), Mexico City. Shannan L. Mattiace is assistant professor of political science, Allegheny College.