Mexico | Government agencies celebrate with indigenous peoples
International Day of the Indigenous Peoples
Volunteers from the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP) in Mexico, joined the commemoration of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples as part of the Social Program "Children of Mother Earth", with activities in Baja California, Chihuahua, and Nuevo Leon.
The celebration was developed with the installation of fairs and the Festival of the Indigenous Peoples, where governmental entities, activists for peace and the general public gathered.
The event was organized with the objective of working together with indigenous peoples to strengthen, defend their rights, and maintain their cultural identity.
Baja California
On August 3rd, at Adolfo López Mateos Park, the GEAP participated in the traditional Tecate Fair in March 2017, which was developed under the theme "Rescuing our traditions".
The mayor of Tecate, Nereida Fuentes, made an appearance, in the feast that was attended by 250 people; Francisco Rueda, Secretary General of the Government of Baja California; and Óscar Escobedo, Secretary of State Tourism.
Likewise, Manuel Valladolid, Secretary of Agricultural Development; the delegate of SEDESOL, Guillermo Peñuñuri; and matriarchs of the Kumiai community, attended the activity.
Festival of the Indigenous Peoples
On August 9th, in the esplanade of the municipal palace of Playas de Rosarito, the Indigenous Peoples Festival was held, where the communities of Kumiai, Cucapá, Kiliwa, Purépecha, Mazahua, Mixteca, Huichol, Otomí, Yaqui and Triki were presented, before more than 200 people.
Also attending, the mayor of the municipality, Mirna Cecilia Rincón; the National Commissioner for Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, Jaime Martínez Veloz; and the head of the Department for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, Jesús Romero Martínez, who was in charge of organizing the event.
The audience got to know about the gastronomy, crafts, rituals, music, and dance of the indigenous communities that were represented. Likewise, the GEAP presented the International Program "Children of Mother Earth".
Chihuahua
En ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, se organizó una ceremonia de bendición y reconocimiento a los pueblos indígenas. En esta actividad los voluntarios de la EMAP instalaron la Feria por la Paz de la Madre Tierra; los habitantes de la localidad recorrieron los módulos informativos al ritmo de la música autóctona.
Leaders of the Huicholes of Jalisco, Mazahuas of Mexico City, raramuris of the Sierra Tarahumara, and the delegate of the State Commission on Indigenous Peoples (COEPI), supported the event that highlighted the ancestral culture.
Nuevo León
El 11 de agosto, en las instalaciones de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Campus Mederos, se presentó la Feria “Todos somos indígenas”, donde asistieron alrededor de 200 personas.
Francisco Valdez, coordinator of the Faculty, attended the celebration; as well as, Sergio Fernández, secretary of Sustainability of this house of studies; Víctor Cabrera Medrano, delegate of the Federal Procurator's Office for Environmental Protection; and Juan Carlos Holguín, director of Ecology of the municipality of Monterrey.
The activists gave talks on the importance of protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and maintaining their culture, also, on the care of the environment and the preservation of fauna and flora. In addition, they made a day of cleaning in the area.
