Las Abejas: Pacifist Resistance and Syncretic Identities in a Globalizing Chiapas PDF
Preview Las Abejas: Pacifist Resistance and Syncretic Identities in a Globalizing Chiapas
Religion in History, Society, and Culture Outstanding Dissertations Edited by Frank Reynolds and Winnifred Fallers Sullivan The University of Chicago, Divinity School A Routledge Series This page intentionally left blank La s Abejas Pacifist Resistance and Syncretic Identities in a Globalizing Chiapas Marco Tavanti |J Routledge Taylor &. Francis Group LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2003 by Routledge Published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon 0X14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2003 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tavanti, Marco, 1965- Las Abejas : pacifist resistance and syncretic identities in a globalizing Chiapas / by Marco Tavanti. p. cm. — (Outstanding dissertations on religion in history, society, and culture ; 1) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Tzotzil Indians—Government relations. 2. Tzotzil Indians—Ethnic identity. 3. Abejas (Organization) 4. Chiapas (Mexico)—History—Peasant Uprising, 1994- 5. Pacifism—Mexico—Chiapas. 6. Massacres—Mexico—Acteal. I. Title. II.Series. F1221.T9 T39 2002 972'.75-dc21 2002006955 ISBN 13: 978-0-415-94215-7 (hbk) This book is dedicated to Zenaida, Geronomo, Efrafn and all other children, mothers, and fathers who survived the Acteal massacre . . . Your blood and tears water your land and our hearts, so that your rights will be respected and your dignity be cherished until justice will shine and peace will dawn forever. This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Illustrations xi Series Editors’ Foreword xiii Preface xv Acknowledgments xxv Acronyms and Abbreviations xxvii Chapter One Las Abejas and the Acteal Massacre 3 The 1992 Formation of Las Abejas 4 On the Violent Path to Acteal 6 December 22, 1997: Bury My Heart in Acteal 9 The Three Acteals: A Paradigm for Las Abejas Identity 14 Developing a Syncretic Organization 15 Chapter Two Methodological and Theoretical Frameworks 21 A “Syncretic” Standpoint 21 Doing Fieldwork in Dangerous Places 24 Research as Collaboration and Bridge Building 26 The Open Fields of Chiapas Research 28 Syncretic and Other Types of Identity Constructions 30 Religious Collective Identities 35 Cultural Identity in Movement 37 Resistance to Neoliberalism in Mexico 38 vii viii Contents Chapter Three The Struggle for Land and Dignity in Chiapas 41 A Double Marginalization: Poor and Indigenous 41 Understanding Chiapas, the Highlands and Chenalho 43 The Tzotziles and Indigenous People of Chiapas 51 Neoliberalism Effects on Land 55 A Double Root of Identity: Land and Dignity 59 The Land Is Our Mother: How Can They Sell Our Mother? 61 We Resist Because of Our Dignity! 63 Chapter Four The Juxtaposed Meanings of Acteal 69 The Intercommunitarian Conflict Interpretation 71 The Counterinsurgency Interpretation 74 Violent Meanings of Acteal: Paramilitary Presence 77 Political Meanings of Acteal: Military Presence 82 Cultural Meanings of Acteal: Tierra Sagrada 88 Religious Meanings of Acteal: Los Martires 91 Gender Meanings of Acteal: An Attack against Life 96 Nonviolent Meanings of Acteal: Civiles as an Easy Target 98 Global Meanings of Acteal: Mirror and Center of the World 100 Chapter Five The Cultural and Religious Frameworks of Las Abejas 105 Cultural Framework: Las Abejas as a Maya-Indigenous Movement 105 Religious Framework: Las Abejas as a Progressive Religious Movement 111 Inculturation Dimension: Toward an Autochthonous Tzotzil Church 114 Ecumencal Dimension: Costumbristas, Catolicos y Evangelicos 121 Participation Dimension: Catechists’ New Role and Method 125 Liberation Dimension: The 1974 Indigenous Congress 127 Mobilization Dimension: The Formation of Pueblo Creyente 131 Chapter Six The Political and Human Rights Frameworks of Las Abejas 135 Political Framework: Las Abejas as a Neozapatista Movement 135 Twenty Years Later: The Same Demands 138 Las Abejas as a Neozapatista Movement 141 Las Abejas as a Civil Society 145 Contents ix Human Rights Framework: Las Abejas as an Indigenous Rights Movement 148 Chapter Seven Las Abejas’ Construction of Nonviolent Resistance 159 Nonviolent Resistance as Political Contention 161 Memory of Resistance: Continuing 500 Years of Resistance 165 The Presence of International Human Rights Observers 172 The Accompaniment of Christian Peacemaker Teams 178 Developing Nonviolent Consciousness and Strategies 182 The Gender of Resistance: Womens Double Front of Resistance 192 Chapter Eight Las Abejas’ Syncretic Identity of Resistance 203 Bringing Syncretism Back In 203 Syncretic Identity as Resistance 207 Las Abejas’ Syncretic Identity of Resistance 210 Constructing the Circle of Syncretic Identity 214 Contributions of a Syncretic Identity of Resistance 216 Conclusion: Never Again a World without Us 217 Glossary 221 Notes 225 References 237 Index 263
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