In October of 1991 an alliance was formed between Indian and
campesino communities of the Chimalapas region in eastern Oaxaca
and a group of Mexico City environmentalists and scientists. The
National Committee for the Defense of Chimalapas, headed by the
Zoque Indian communities of Santa Maria and San Miguel Chimalapa
presents the following proposal:
PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION OF THE FIRST CAMPESINO ECOLOGICAL
RESERVE IN CHIMALAPAS, MEXICO.
I. Introduction
Chimalapas is located in southeastern Mexico in the heart of the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca on the borders of Chiapas and Veracruz. Of
the approximately 2 million hectares of tropical forest remaining in Mexico,
Chimalapas and its neighboring regions make up nearly half. Chimalapas
itself, with almost 400,000 hectares of virgin tropical forest is the
legendary refuge of the "bini dani", Zapotec name for a race that fled to
the mountains rather than accept Spanish domination. Given its extension,
biological characteristics and degree of conservation this region is the
most important tropical area remaining in North America.
Originally inhabited by the Zoque Indian communities of San Miguel and Santa
Maria Chimalapa, the region's highly rugged topography ranges from lowland
plains 200 meters above sea level to mountain peaks of nearly 2400 meters, a
geography that results in the juxtaposition of the most varied ecological
systems inhabited by a remarkable diversity of tropical species.
Hydrologically, Chimalapas forms the upper basin of the Coazalcoalcos and
Grijalva Rive systems, through which nearly one-fourth of Mexico's total
surface water flows into the Gulf of Mexico. On the Pacific side,
Chimalapas forests feed Mexico's most important coastal lagoons.
The great ecological importance of Chimalapas, its biodiversity and pristine
state make the protection of this natural area a high priority for Mexican
society. However, the country's experiences to date with the creation of
protected natural areas such as parks and biosphere reserves has not been
encouraging, suggesting that conventional conservation strategies have not
been successful in achieving their goals. Conventional reserves tend to be
designed and managed based on purely biological criteria with little
attention being paid to local communities traditionally inhabiting the areas
to be protected. The result of not taking into account the opinions,
experience and expectations of Indian and peasant inhabitants and ignoring
their right to decide over the future of their resources, has been to
accelerate the destruction of what is intended to be conserved.
Aware of these problems, as well as of the great need to conserve the biotic
wealth of the great Zoque Rainforest, the communities of Chimalapas, along
with environmental organizations and scientists have formed the National
Committee for the Defense of Chimalapas. We propose a new model for
conservation, through a bottom-up, participatory process of reserve design,
in which each local community, working with scientists and technical
advisors analyzes and plans its future resource use.
II. Historical Background
The relatively well-conserved state of the Chimalapas rainforest is largely
due to the spirited defense of their territory and resources by the local
Indian population through the centuries. The ancestors of the 16th century
Zoque inhabitants of the area, the Mokayas, are considered by some to be a
historical link between Olmec and Maya cultures. In 1687, the Zoques were
forced to buy their own land from the Spanish Crown for the price of 25,000
gold pesos. This event gave rise to the name Chimalapa, Zoque for "gourd
full of gold."
In 1850, the Republic of Mexico recognized the Spanish land-titles, but it
was only in 1967 when Zoque ownership was fully confirmed in a presidential
decree granting almost 600,000 hectares to the communities of Santa Maria
and San Miguel Chimalapa. During this century-long period the Zoques lands
were subject to illegal appropriation by hacienda owners and loggers,
especially on the eastern border with Chiapas.
Invasion and illegal exploitation of resources has intensified since 1967,
encouraged by the government's refusal to execute the decree and survey the
Zoques territorial boundaries. This lack of clear ownership has encouraged
cattleman, loggers, speculators and drug merchants to continue their
devastation of the region's resources. To increase the confusion, the
neighboring State of Chiapas has given land grants to other Indians within
Zoque territory. A supposed confusion about the state line has given both
State governments an excuse to look the other way while outside exploiters
stir up conflicts between Indians to cover up their destructive activities.
As the Zoques began to analyze their predicament they came to realize that
the cause of the continued destruction of their natural resources was the
unresolved question land title, and that this had nothing to do with the
supposed conflict over State boundaries. They also realized that the Indian
groups that had moved in were land-hungry peasants like themselves with no
blame for the complex situation. In 1990 they decided to take the initiative
and seek to ally with the invading groups to protect the region from outside
interests. This conciliation initiative was well-received by the 30
agrarian communities, mostly Tzotzil and Tzeltal Maya Indians from central
Chiapas, tired of years of uncertainty and violence. With each Chiapas
community the Zoques signed a document in which both parties agreed to:
- Recognition and mutual respect for land claims of genuine
Indian peasants living in the region.
- Insistence on land rights independent of the problem of the
final location of the State line between Oaxaca and Chiapas.
- Agreement to permit no further colonization of the region.
- Peace and unity among campesinos of all ethnic groups in the
Chimalapas region,
- Mutual support and cooperation for the protection of the
region's forests and natural resources.
In this way, social conditions were created for the final surveying of
Indian lands that was nearly completed during 1991 and 1992. Once the
boundaries were clearly delimited, Indians would have the legal basis for
expelling illegal ranchers and lumber companies. Defining the final corner
of Chimalapas territory with Chiapas has been blocked by these outside
interests through legal and political channels as well as through outright
threats and violence, condoned by the Chiapas State government. The case has
been brought to the attention of the National Human Rights Commission.
These struggles for the defense of their resources by the Zoques have
coincided with the concerns of environmental and conservation groups in
Mexico. Due to the efforts of the Chimalapas communities, an alliance has
been forged between these groups and the Chimalapas communities that
includes scientists and technicians as well. The National Committee for the
Defense of Chimalapas was formed in October 1991. Chaired by the
authorities of the Chimalapa Zoques communities, the Committee has as its
principal objective the formation of a new type of Protected Natural Area
designed and managed by the campesino inhabitants of the region.
These efforts resulted in a recent workshop on natural resource planning in
which, for the first time, community representatives of 17 communities met
with scientists and conservationists to begin discussion strategies for
conservation and sustainable development in Chimalapas. After three days of
reflection, analysis and discussion on the subjects of environmental
destruction, politics, social conflict and economics, the participants came
up with the following list of problems in order of importance:
1. Land tenure
2. Community organization and government
3. Forest fires
4. Corrupt community leaders
5. Outside efforts to impose a Biosphere Reserve
6. Development mega-projects (Dams and highways)
7. Lack of technical assistance for agriculture and forestry.
8. Clandestine logging
9. Lack of financial credit for business projects.
10. Lack of consistent forestry regulations
11. Lack of basic urban services.
12. Conversion of forest to pasture.
13. Drug plantations.
Another important result of this first workshop was the decision by the
community representatives to initiate the formation of a regional Council of
Representatives of Chimalapas communities, creating a necessary political
instrument for the administration the ecological reserve for interaction
with Government and other outside organizations.
III. Creation of the Campesino Reserve
1. Objectives
Our proposal is based on the premise that it is necessary to reinterpret the
value of forest resources by overcoming the unilateral view of them purely
as a source of lumber for private corporations or as region to be left
totally untouched for "conservation". Forests provide multiple services and
products, including basic ecosystem services with respect to water, soils,
climate etc.--for all sectors of society. This view of forests as
polyvalent ecosystems leads us to propose the Campesino Ecological Reserve
as a new model for conservation and development, with the following
objectives:
-- Encourage processed of communication and participation of
campesinos in the planning, management and conservation of
natural resources guaranteeing community control over all phases
of the process.
--Conserve biodiversity and the integrity of regional ecosystem
processes.
--Increase the well-being and self-sufficiency of local
communities.
--Generate a permanent process of innovation and development
based on culturally and ecologically appropriate technology.
--Reduce to a minimum the environmental impact of conventional
agricultural, livestock and forest production methods.
2. Participative Planning
The active participation of each community is to be achieved through a
series of planning workshops in which scientists and others provide basic
information and orientation for analyzing productive and land use options.
Scientists provide species inventories, cartography and satellite imagery,
technical support, market information etc. to facilitate the process of
community resource planning.
Indian communities in the region have a tradition of decision making through
community assemblies. These decision-making bodies form the basis for wide
participation in the process of resource planning and management. Inter-
community levels of democratic decision-making are emerging to provide
regional coherence to the proposal. The above mentioned regional workshop
was the first successful experience in this regard.
3. Legal Foundations of the Campesino Reserve.
Mexico's new constitutional reforms with respect to agrarian rights give
ample legal basis for the concept of Campesino Reserve. Although the
reforms officially ended 50 years land reform and State tutelage, they
guarantee respect for Indian communities' territorial rights and permit
recognition of the community assemblies as the local decision-making body on
resource questions.
Also, Mexico's environmental protection act explicitly recognizes the need
for local participation in the design and management of Protected Natural
Areas and creates the legal figures need to implement our proposal.
However, for these legal resources to be effective it is necessary to
resolve the remaining agrarian conflicts over Chimalapas lands and give
clear recognition to the Zoques and other Indian communities of their
territorial rights. We request international support from environmental,
conservation and human rights groups in the Chimalapas people's demand for
the final resolution of the land tenure question in Chimalapas.
IV. Conclusion: the Ecological Modernization of Rural Mexico
Mexico, the country third richest biotic diversity on earth, is in a
privileged position to initiate the ecological regeneration of its
territory. The reason is that Mexico possesses an enviable cultural
heritage, represented by the existence of 3 million rural Indian
enterprises. Some contemporary proponents of neoliberal economic philosophy
express the narrow and clumsy view that this tremendous cultural and social
resource should disappear, under an obsolete and anti-ecological concept of
modernization. For a world that has had to face the reality of "limits to
growth", vital rural cultures that have survived for centuries by the
rigorous management of scarcity are especially needed.
In academic, environmental, conservation and international development
circles we are seeing the emergence of a new paradigm. The ecological
reconversion of the planet must begin at the starting point of "pre-modern"
habits of conception, perception and management of nature and pay close
attention to the forms of culture and social organization by which campesino
communities use their resources.
The Chimalapas Campesino Reserve is a visionary project that takes an
enormous step forward towards ecological regeneration of the rural
environment to new and more effective, more just forms of production and
conservation.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF CHIMALAPAS
For more information: Ronald Nigh, Asociacion de Dana
PEACENET access group: carnet address: rnigh
FAX & Tel: 525/568-1055 Mexico City
[ That's "rnigh@igc.org" --Gary ]