Mexico’s indigenous peoples have inhabited biologically and culturally diverse areas for centuries, which are now often popular tourist destinations.
The Mexican Constitution recognises indigenous peoples. However, they face numerous challenges, not least because in practice they have limited rights over their territories and their self-governance is not effectively guaranteed. Currently, Mexico’s indigenous territories are being transformed by multinational mining companies, agricultural expansion and the over-exploitation of natural resources linked to tourism.
Tourism megaprojects like the Tren Maya are part of the problem. The aim is to draw tourists back to the Riviera Maya and provide economic prospects for the country’s poorest regions. The project is nearly complete. When complete, it will be a 1,554-kilometer loop that will pass through 34 stations and include some of Mexico’s most famous tourist destinations, including Cancun, Tulum and Palenque.
Many activists and indigenous organisations are opposed to major government projects, claiming that indigenous peoples were not adequately consulted from the start and therefore lacked free, prior and informed consent, and that construction works have not only destroyed natural resources in the process but also displaced indigenous peoples from their lands.
Moreover, tourism is causing major changes in social dynamics, leading to an increased abandonment of indigenous languages and traditional occupations such as beekeeping, and increasing social inequalities, as not everyone has access to the economic benefits and decent work that tourism offers.
On the other hand, some indigenous movements are trying to defend their territories. A recent example is the Wixárika, Na’ayeri, O’odham or Audam and Mexican peoples who submitted a proposal to the Mexican President in 2022 asking for a decree to recognize and protect sacred sites and pilgrimage routes. Drafted by indigenous authorities with the support of federal authorities, the decree was signed by the Mexican government in August 2023. These territories should therefore not be affected by economic or tourist activities.
Drug tourism
However, the sacred sites of the Wixárika are still under threat, mainly due to narco-tourism. The Wixárika or Wixáritari people live in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range, mainly in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Durango, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. Every year, the Wixáritari make a pilgrimage of hundreds of kilometers through the desert of San Luis Potosi, which includes searching for peyote for ancestral ceremonies.
Peyote (or hikuli) is an endemic psychoactive plant that piques the curiosity of tourists. The plant is sacred to indigenous peoples, as it is a way to connect with ancestors and regenerate the soul. Peyote is specially protected according to Mexican Standard 059, but is declining due to illegal trade and excessive demand. It is estimated that peyote populations have declined by 40% in places frequented by tourists.
Not only do we need regulations to protect the natural life of peyote, but we also need to allow Wisaritari families to choose tourism models that preserve their indigenous rituals.
Part of the tourist spot
Overall, indigenous communities play an important role in Mexico’s tourism industry, with many of them participating in the industry through the sale and marketing of handicrafts, music, dance, ceremonies and local cuisine.
Craft activities in particular have become a means of self-employment: according to the National Foundation for the Promotion of Handicrafts, it is estimated that more than one million people earn their living from selling handicrafts, but many of them are struggling to make ends meet. The artisanal sector was one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of markets, especially tourist markets, reduced the source of income for thousands of families and increased their vulnerability.
The revival of the artisan economy has required the joint work of several organizations. One example of such an initiative is the “Ensamble Artesano”, a collaboration platform launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic. It has brought together partner organizations and artisan groups from all over Mexico. By 2023, it had already generated direct economic benefits of more than 2.7 million euros for more than 5,600 artisans, the majority of whom (71%) are indigenous. The initiative is still ongoing.
Artisan cooperatives give artisans access to formal markets that are usually difficult to reach. One example is “Jolom Mayaetik” (“Mayan weavers” in Tzotzil) in Chiapas. The cooperative was founded in 1991 in San Cristóbal de las Casas and employs at least 250 indigenous women weavers from the Tzotzil and Tzeltal ethnic groups. Their designs are based on traditional Mayan symbolism and techniques. Through the cooperative, the women receive training to adapt their work to the requirements of the formal market.
Community-Focused Alternatives
Such sustainable, community-based initiatives must be an alternative to exploitative and harmful forms of tourism in Mexico.
Community-based tourism focuses on highlighting traditions and cultural identity. Local people plan and manage tourism projects to bring tourists closer to their culture and share their customs and traditions. This community-oriented model aims to ensure a more equitable distribution of economic benefits while preserving local heritage.
The state of Yucatán is an example here. In its six tourist regions there are many cooperatives, social enterprises and family-run businesses run by Mayan communities. These companies develop tourism experiences and products. One example is the cooperative association “Co’ox Mayab” (“Go to the Mayan Regions”). Co’ox Mayab was founded in 2015 and currently consists of nine social enterprises dedicated to community-based tourism.
In 2023, the Yucatán State Tourism Development Secretariat, UNESCO Mexico, Airbnb and Co’ox Mayab launched a capacity building program for community-based tourism. The aim of this collaboration is to strengthen Mayan communities as owners and intermediaries of their ancient culture. To this end, groups, associations and tourism cooperatives have been trained in areas such as heritage management, sustainability and tour development.
Indigenous people of Mexico
According to statistics from the 2020 Population and Housing Census, there are 23.2 million people who identify as indigenous in Mexico. According to official statistics, they are divided into 71 ethnic groups. This represents 19.4% of the total population aged 3 and over.
There are 68 indigenous languages spoken in Mexico, divided into 364 variants. The most widespread are Nahuatl (22.4%), Maya (10.5%) and Tzeltal (8%). Only 6.1% of Mexico’s total population speaks any of these languages, which corresponds to 7.4 million people. The majority of indigenous language speakers (87.2%) also speak Spanish. Four southern states – Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatán and Guerrero – account for half of the total number of indigenous language speakers. This is according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) for 2022.
Mexico, a multicultural country, recognizes indigenous peoples as “the descendants of those peoples who inhabited the present territory at the beginning of colonization and who have maintained their own social, economic, cultural and political systems, or parts of them,” as stated in Article 2 of the Mexican Constitution.
Nevertheless, indigenous people continue to face discrimination. A national survey on discrimination published in 2023 found that 28% of indigenous people aged 12 and over reported being victims of discrimination, and 26.9% of indigenous people aged 18 and over reported being denied some rights. Another study by El Colegio de México on ethnic discrimination in Mexico found that discriminatory practices are sometimes so normalized that they are often triggered by ethnic characteristics such as speaking an indigenous language or wearing traditional clothing. Against this background, states have a special responsibility to protect indigenous languages, cultures, customs and traditions.
Pamela Cruz is special projects coordinator for Comunalia, Mexico’s network of community foundations, and strategic advisor to MY World Mexico.
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