From: NativeNet%gnosys.svle.ma.us@tamvm1.tamu.edu
Subject: LATIN AMERICA: 40 MILLION OPPOSE QUINCENTENIAL CELEBRATION
Reply-To: Multiple recipients of list NAT-1492 <NAT-1492@TAMVM1.BITNET>
Organization: Texas A&M University
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 00:22:57 GMT

Original-Sender: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>

/* Written 12:18 am  Oct 12, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: LATIN AMERICA: 40 MILLION OPPOSE QUINCENTENIAL CELEBRATION

an inter press service feature

by eduardo molina

mexico, oct (ips) -- individuals and organisations representing
nearly 40 million indigenous americans have rejected and
denounced the quincentenial commemmoration of the european
arrival on the continent, and are countering with acts affirming
their native american identities.

on oct. 12, teotihuacan, the pre-colombian ceremonial city 48
kilometers north-east of mexico city, will be the site of one of
the largest acts protesting the quinentenary organised by
indigenous people on the continent.

from across mexico, six ''marches for dignity'' will converge
on teotichuacan to demand solutions to the historic and
continuing problems of indigenous people at the hands of european
colonists and their descendents and to protest the commemmoration
of christopher colombus' arrival.

two of the marches will arrive from the south, two from the
north and two from the east.

jenaro dominguez, leader of the national coordination of
indigenous peoples (ncip), said that virtually all 56 mexican
indigenous tribes that survived the brutal conquest, as well as
other latin american indigenous peoples, will be represented.

dominguez pointed out that 20 of mexico's 85 million
inhabitants are indigenous, and 90 percent of the remaining
population is 'mestizo' with indigenous blood.

''colombus' arrival in america marked the beginning of the
greatest genocide in human history, a genocide that must not be
celebrated, nor be the focus of festivals or commemmorations that
serve to exalt or cover it up,'' dominguez added.

the ncip leader said that in addition to direct annihilation,
the confiscation of land, combined with the systematic cultural,
political and economical marginalisation, have kept indigenous
populations living in misery throughout the continent.

''indigenous people are not myths from the past, nor ruins in
the jungle, nor biological reserves, but sovereign people, and
that's how we want to be treated,'' said rigoberta menchu, a
guatamalan quiche, considered a strong candidate for this year's
nobel peace prize. (more/ips)
----


latin america: 40 (2)

the 33-year old menchu has spent the past twelve years in
exile in mexico, following the massacre of her entire family at
the hands of guatemala's military.

menchu told ips that rejection of the quincentenary is not
just an indigenous concern, but something that must be addressed
by all of society.

''the governments of america are not ashamed about the
genocide or the conquest, but by what they failed to accomplish,
the total extermination of indigenous people.

''they are embarassed that native people are still here, with
memory and history, denouncing the genocides of yesterday and
today,'' menchu said.

evoking the memory of aztec and mayan sacrifices, the
guatemalan human rights advocate asked, ''how many human beings
are being sacrificed today to the gods of capital?''

according to menchu, one positive aspect of the quincentenary
is that american indigenous tribes that have managed to survive
are now in a position to grow and thrive.

menchu pointed out that, beginning on dec. 10, the united
nations has declared the international year of indigenous
peoples.

nevertheless, ''it is important that native americans do not
isolate themselves from their national societies and the larger
regional communities to which they belong. instead, they must
integrate into and act upon the revolutionary transformations
needed to make a better, truely human, future,'' menchu added.

the various acts of protest and denounciation of the
quincentenary are neither spontaneous nor disconnected, but began
over a year ago with a meeting in the guatamalan city of xelaju,
entitled ''500 years of inigenous, black and popular resistence:
a continental encounter.''

the xelaju meeting produced a document accusing the american
conquest of ''having tried to completely erase the historic role
of large sectors of society, of great civilizations, of ancient
cultures.''

''the conquest marked the beginning of incalculable crimes,
sacrifices, pain, hunger and death,'' the document continued.
(more/ips)
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latin america: 40 (3)

''despite the long dark night and pain that the quincentenary
represents, its passing must mark the beginning of a true
historic meeting of all the american cultures, based on equality,
mutual respect and peace and cooperation, for the independent
benefit of all people.'' (end/ips/trd/so/em/vh/eli/92)
----