indios & mestizos - " Democracia Indigena" - www.docfilm.com

http://www.docfilm.com - "Democracia Indígena" (35 min) examines the rights revolution of Indian Mexico through the municipal elections in Huehuetla, Puebla - the same Totonac Indian community featured in "The Tree of Life" and "The Tree of Knowledge".

In 1989, the Huehuetla Totonacs formed the Organizacion Independiente Totonaca (OIT), and joined in an electoral alliance with the Partido de la Revolucion Democratica to sweep the municipal elections. During the following nine years, the OIT and PRD carried out a non-violent revolution. The visible signs of this Totonac renaissance are the health posts, schools, drinking water, and electricity available to everyone for the first time. But the real change is in the new self-confidence and pride of the Totonacs themselves.

Democracia Indígena follows Cruz Garcia, an "expatriate" Totonac, as he examines the changes in his homeland. Opening with the PRD electoral campaign, Cruz meets with the Totonac mayor and council, , visits rural projects, talks with his Totonac family and neighbors, as well as the parish priest and the mestizo mayoral candidate of the opposition PRI. With Cruz, we watch the voting, the vote counting, and the stunning 3 am victory celebration. The film concludes with an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of this powerful example of democracy in action.

Special Merit Award, Latin American Studies Association; Best Documentary, Latino Film Festival; Mejor Pelicula Indígena, Festival Contra el Silencio.

US TV: Free Speech TV Columbus Day Special

Ethnoscope Film & Video

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Indian Theology
• Oppression
• Rights
• Huehuetla
• Puebla
• Democracy
• Totonac
• election
• PRD
• OIT
• Indian
• Mexico
• Native American
• Sierra Norte de Puebla

[nopossi]

The racial problem has been there since the Spanish invaded Mexico. These Indigenous people have no chance of advancing as long as Spanish blood rules Mexico. Take a look at their TV shows...ALL WHITE! On top of that we discriminate our own kind because of the complication of the skin! You hear "Yo no soy Indio!" No one wants to relate so something that has such a bad rep in society... It sucks but it's true! We're also made to believe that lighter skin is more attractive.....think about it!

[pame546]

I am a strong supporter of indigenous movements all over Mexico and the Mexican government owes them their right to self govern and soverignty. I also think that most people in Mexico (particularly Mestizos) see indigenous people as backwards or not suit for self-determination, which is absolutely false and even discriminatory and offensive. Mestizos should realize that many of our customs and food come from the natives and they are also our ancestors, so we are ignoring our family doing this.

[buscapleitosNo1]

Que pena ver a los nativo-americanos ser discriminados en su milenaria tierra.

[707thetruth]

to all!

there were rapes but later their were marriages between the spaniards and natives so all mestizos are not conceived out of rape really a great amount of mexican mestizos were concieved from

mutual sex between the conquistadors and indian women.

[XxBirdsofdeathXx]

I agree with you! Not to mention they carry plagues of ignorance and lack of education with them! They even have most of t hem at least, awful features!! But then again these problems arent their fault. The europeans preety much fuicked them all up...

[HispanicsRNotSpanish]

We are not your ancestors.

[SOH805]

hey!!! dont go their yet the US never did anything to mexican indians, the mexica desendents eventually revolted against spain in its prime, so Mexicans get the harder laugh than the blacks, but now that obama is president now all of a sudden a Hispanic wants too thats sum BS a Hispanic could of been president before a black.

[sfumato1002]

BS..sometimes you see Mexicans that look totally indigenous and proclaim they are "latino".."hispanic" and spanish.

Most mexicans in the USA look more indigenous than they do spanish..yet..you will never hear them say they are Aztec or Mayan..they always proclaim to be "latino".

As far as im concerned.."latinos" reside in Spain, Italy, Portugal and France and Romania.

I think Mexicans have a shameful secret..and that is that they are ashamed of the true heritage.

Mexicans are not Hispanics.

[echoplex89]

the natives achieved a lot before the europeans arrived, they really had a sustainable culture.

the way the Europeans defined "progress" was exploiting as many resources, human labor as possible for greater profit.

this is just a continuation of the racism Spain instituted in Latin America. there is nothing wrong with being native.

Being a mestizo mexican, should I really be proud of any European heritage I have?

my ancestors probably raped the native women, that's how I'm mestizo.

[zISaGaIz]

even if you see whit mexicans in T.V they are STILL MEXICAN ohh and not all are white on T.V sum are indigenous and mestizo but to all those Mexicans! be proud of who you are wether you beautifully tanned or light skinned!

[scarface245]

Reminds me of how the U.S. treated African Americans 60 years ago. They thought they were worthless, and weren't intelligent enough to do normal work.

Now the U.S. has a black president.