On January 20, 1994 in response to a call by FIPI (Indian's peoples
Independence Front) for the presence of international indigenous
observers, Jeannette Armstrong and Joan Phillip, members of the
Okanagan Nation travelled to the state of Chiapas in Mexico to a
four day meeting of 280 Chiapas campesino peoples and indigenous
organizations; which met to discuss a peaceful resolution of the
armed conflict in southern Mexico. Travel arrangements for the
seven-day trip were made and coordinated by the Indigenous People's
Alliance (IPA) and the Continental Commission of Indigenous Nations
and Organizations (CONIC).
Both Armstrong and Phillip were appalled and shocked when
confronted with the abject poverty and deplorable living conditions
of the local indigenous population. 70% of the approximately 2.5
million people living in Chiapas are of Mayan Indian descent. 80%
of all Maya children suffer from malnutrition.
Armstrong and Phillip learned that the armed uprising of the Maya
Indians was a direct result of the systematic and rapid
extinguishment of their land rights by the Mexican government.
President Salinas de Gortari has systematically abolished all
Mexican legislation which served to safeguard the ancient land
rights of the Maya people.
For example, the Mexican government gained access to communal lands
previously held by the Mayan people by amending Article 27 of the
Mexican Constitution. What little communally held lands the Mayan
people have managed to maintain and protect, is now subject to
taxation, private sale and foreign ownership. Further, it has been
revealed that the lands held communally by the Mayan people in
Chiapas, is very rich in oil reserves. This fact was established as
the result of a "secret" testing program conducted by PEMEX, a
state-owned, Mexican petroleum company. The testing results have
since been passed on the US petroleum companies. The EZLN (Ejercito
Zapatista Army of National Liberation) attacked this PEMEX base and
destroyed it with explosives.
The Mayan people are aware that the Mexican government's program of
legislation reform shall result in the total and complete loss of
their indigenous lands to foreign business interests. Further, the
Mayan people feel that the North American Free Trade Agreement
shall open up their lands and resources to further exploitation.
The EZLN (Zapatista's) point out that any disputes arising as a
result of the sale of their lands or the removal of their natural
resources shall be settled by an "Independent NAFTA Tribunal"
which, by design, shall protect the interests of the parties of the
NAFTA agreement. In other words, the Maya people will not have any
say in what happens to their lands or natural resources. Any
national law which stands in the way of "free trade" can be
overruled by the "International NAFTA Tribunal".
It is interesting to note that the Canadian government attempted to
pass a similar program of legislation in Canada, last fall. This
package of information was described as the "Indian Act
Alternatives". Concurrent to the federal government legislation
initiatives, the provincial government has legislated the
establishment of a British Columbia Treaty Commission. The federal
government legislative program was designed to "open up" Indian
Reserve lands to taxation, private ownership and sale. The current
B.C. Treaty Commission is designed to "open up" Traditional Tribal
Territories for the purposes of sale and natural resources
development by both domestic and foreign economic interests. The
Cretien government has every intention of pursuing Indian Act
Alternative legislation initiated by the Mulroney government.
Obviously, the assault on the indigenous land rights of Canada's
aboriginal people has begun in earnest. The recent
Gitksan-Wet'Suwet'En and Clayquot decisions support this.
According to the Indian Treaty Rights Committee of Chicago,
aboriginal people in Canada and the United States live on
traditional lands which are endowed with 40% of all known energy
resources for each country.
The Indigenous Peoples Consejico (council) were successful in
achieving recognition to negotiate the necessary reforms. They were
meeting with the President in Tuxtla Guttierrez on the 26 of
January, the day we left Mexico. We shall continue to monitor the
situation in Chiapas in order to assist in the prevention of
further bloodshed.
Joan C. Phillip
Jeannette C. Armstrong
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"When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully
because we know the faces of our future generations are looking
up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them."
-Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation
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milo@scicom.alphacdc.com Michele Lord Alpha Institute
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