Mexico laps Canada in fight for rights recognition

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There is a monumental change underway in Mexican society, and we northern people should be paying close attention to the struggle of our brothers and sisters in the south. In spite of the apparent differences between us, and between the two countries, our struggle is the same. They have been colonized by Spaniards just as Frenchmen and Britons have colonized us; and now they are fighting for their lands, to ensure their survival as Indigenous people, and to gain recognition of their rights.

The Indian people of Mexico are on the verge of gaining recognition of their existence and having their rights become a political fact in the constitutional and social reality of Mexico. After enduring 400 years of genocide and oppression by the Spanish invaders, and 100 years of neglectful and impoverished solitude imposed by Mestizo (mixed race) majority's denial of the country's Indigenous reality, Mexicans are starting to come together to reconcile the twin reality of their existence in a post-colonial country.

What an inspiring sight to see thousands of white-skinned Mexican women and men wearing Viva Zapata shirts and standing beside the Indians marching to the central plaza of their country's capitol. This plaza, like the entire country, was built on the ruins of the Indian city-literally. The plaza is paved with the stones of destroyed Aztec temples. Now the two warring elements of Mexican history have been brought together by the sacrifice of the Zapatista fighters over the past 10 years in defence of their identity and lands. Mexicans of all backgrounds, both Indian and White, were moved by the dignity manifested in the survival and steadfast refusal of the Indians to submit to the White ruling class and Mestizo majority's genocidal vision of Mexican society.

The Zapatistas have come into the city, and Mexicans have marched with them, to demand that the federal government move on what has become the general consensus of the people. They want constitutional reforms that recognize and define the rights of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous organizations and representatives from many Indigenous nations collaborated to produce what are known as the San Andrés Accords, from which a government commission developed a draft initiative for constitutional reform. It is in support of these changes that the Zapatistas have gone to Mexico City, and which have caused the hundreds of thousands of Indian and White Mexicans to rally in the plaza.

The initiative deals quite simply with protecting the rights of self-determination and the autonomy of the Indigenous peoples of Mexico.

The initiative would alter Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution and concretely define Indigenous self-determination and autonomy, following the general statement that: "The Indigenous peoples have the right to free determination and, as an expression of this, to autonomy as a part of the Mexican State".

The concrete definition of Indigenous autonomy has six main features: 1) full internal self-government, 2) a separate justice system, with links to the federal court system and special protections for the rights of women, 3) representation and participation in the federal system in culturally specific ways, 4) co-management and collective decision-making on the use and benefit of natural resources in their territories (understood as the total habitat used or occupied by Indigenous communities), 5) preservation and enhancement of Indigenous languages, knowledge and all elements of their identities and cultures, and 6) control over their own means of communication.

In Canada and the United States, we tend to think of ourselves as being far ahead of other Indigenous peoples in decolonising this continent. Perhaps it is time to reconsider this view? Think of the delay, sidetracking, broken promises and stalling that have characterized our movement toward "self-government" in the past couple of generations. Have we accomplished more than what our brothers and siters in Chiapas are on the verge of achieving? Do we have our own autonomous governments, our own justice systems, respectful ways of relating to the Canadian government, control over and benefit from natural resource development, our languages and cultures and an independent media? Don't lie to yourself, now!

The changes underway in Mexico parallel in many ways what happened with the U.S. civil rights movement during the 1950s and 60s, where American Blacks faced and conquered ignorance, racism and the legalized oppression of their people. In both situations, dignified resistance in support of a righteousness cause combined with the assertion of force to provoke a crisis of state and conscience. As with the movement symbolized by the Rev. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, the long line of Indian women and men marching into Mexico City fronted by Professor Marcos has brought the society to the point where the corruption and contradiction of their country is undeniable.

What's the difference between the situation in Mexico and in Canada? For sure, the "adversary" is the same: a state built on racial prejudice, colonial exploitation and the denial of Indigenous peoples' basic human rights. Where the situations differ is in the posture of those who have been oppressed. Mexican Indians have stood up, come together, organized themselves and battled all of colonialism's forces (ideas, attitudes and armies). Now they have spurred the beginning of a societal transformation and are on the verge of achieving their goals as Indigenous peoples.

While they battle, we complain. They stand up; we are satisfied. We have been led to believe that it is enough to complacently sit with the deluded notion that White society has a moral compass, and that they will eventually hand us back our lands and rights because it is the right thing to do. As if a colonizer has ever given back what he has unjustly gained!

The proud struggle of the Mexican Indigenous peoples is a wake up call forall of us. The Zapatistas' rallying cry is YA BASTA! It means, "That's enough!" I wonder if anyone up here is feeling the same way?