Last month, the Cucapa and Kumiai Indigenous Communities of Baja California, Mexico, announced a multilateral project dedicated to making themselves autonomous, self-sufficient, traditionally-governed Peoples.

As explained in a project overview (see below), years of colonial policies on part of the Mexican government have produced “the almost complete loss of our autonomy, of our natural resources, and our culture, principally our native tongues, and the destruction of the social fabric within our communities and our forms of internal organization.”

Their situation is getting to the point now, they added, where “we will …

In response to the increased aggressions of Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)-affiliated armed groups against the community of Bolom Ajaw in the region of the Agua Azul river, civil organizations and members of the Other Campaign in Chiapas have set up an observation camp in the Zapatista community.

The armed group wants to evict/displace the community from their land, because they say it used to be a privately owned tourist and resort area. In 1994 the Zapatista reclaimed the land…

To assist the community, “the Center for Political Analysis and Social and …

The following video is the introduction to the closing statements from the Magdalena gathering, which was the last of four regional gatherings that took place in the days leading up to the Intercontinental Indigenous Encuentro in Vicam, Sonora, Mexico.

NOTE: Rather than repeat what’s been already said about the Encuentro, I’m going to end there for now—though there is a recent 47-minute audio show (in english) from Radio Zapatista that’s worth listening to. (You can find it below.)

Beyond that, we can expect more videos in the coming months… As they become available, I will be sure to add them here. …

The long-awaited Intercontinental Encuentro came to an end a few days ago in Yaqui territory, Sonora, Mexico, bringing together some 547 Indigenous delegates from the around the continent, as well as over 800 observers from around the world..

Unfortunately, due to government interference the Zapatista could not attend in the numbers they had hoped–but it’s of little consequence. The main purpose of the Encuentro was to meet and learn from one another, and that was by all means achieved.

There will be more Encuentros in the future. And they …

Intercontinental Encuentro will still proceed, but the Zapatista have announced they are suspending the second phase of the Other Campaign, because the government has launched a campaign against the Zapatista communities.

Here is the Comminque from Subcomandante Marcos:

The Sixth Commission of the EZLN will suspend the journey of the second phase of the Other Campaign to the states and regions of the center and south of the country that it had announced for the months of October, November, and December of 2007.

In its place, we will carry out civil and peaceful actions in defense of the Zapatista Communities.
Communiqué from the …

Here’s a recent communique from the EZLN which discusses the goals and locations of the upcoming Intercontinental Encuentro - as well as the four introductory meetings that precede it.

Communiqué from the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee—General Command of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation, Mexico

September 16, 2007

To the People of Mexico:

To the Adherents of the Sixth Declaration and the Other Campaign:

Brothers and Sisters:

Compañeros and Compañeras:

On this new anniversary of the struggle for the first independence of Mexico, the EZLN communicates the following:

About the Encounter of the Indigenous Peoples of …

Yesterday, the Good Governance Board for Hope, which based in Montes Azules, Chiapas, Mexico—reported that on August 18th more than 30 men, women, and children were kidnapped by military.

Arriving in six helicopters, the military accused the people in the towns of San Manuel and Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan) of destroying an ecologic reserve mountain.

According to the communique, the military organized themselves into two groups, and went on to destroy their houses, steal their possessions, and “arrest” 32 people—18 of them Children between the ages of 1 and 10. …

Here’s some news from Brenda Norrell regarding the Zapatistas’ regional and international summits. There are to be four regional summits, followed by the Intercontinental Indigenous Summit. See below for details and contact information.

Yaqui and O’odham unite to plan Zapatista summits
By Brenda Norrell http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
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RANCHO EL PENASCO, Sonora, Mexico — Yaqui Zapatistas from Vicam Pueblo met with O’odham in Sonora and reached out to the world’s Indigenous Peoples, extending a warm invitation to come and support the Zapatistas’ regional and international summits to be held in October.

Gathered with O’odham …

Last month, thousands of People from four continents, representing 140 organisations from 56 different countries gathered together for the Via Campesina Gathering—an event that’s held every four years “to discuss and plan work and strategies according to the most important aspects of country life (goods, sovereignty, food, agricultural reform, sustainable commerce, biodiversity, human rights, emigrants and rural workers).” This year’s gathering was in Zapatista territory.

From Narco News - In a world of such rich culture, so many languages, so many ecosystems, so many skin colours, campesinos of the …

“the most important thing is to unite our struggles and thoughts against the capitalist system that continues to steal our labor. Our voice and our struggle is one that as we walk we learn and as we walk we teach… so that we can recuperate what the system has stolen from us.” — Ofelia, member of the Good Government Council during her speech at the inauguration of the 2 Encuentro.

The Second Encounter of Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World should be winding down about now. It …