Throughout the day various speakers spoke about the prevalence of this discriminatory attitude towards the people of Mexico’s numerous indigenous communities. The passing of the Ley Indígena (Indigenous Law) in 2001 continues to relegate indigenous people to objects of public interest, denying them the legal right to organize themselves and their communities autonomously. One speaker referred to the Indigenous Law as the continued denial of “the right to decide what happens inside our own homes and within our own families”. An angry audience member added that it demonstrates that indigenous people are valued by the government as no more than artefacts, “statues in a museum”, a part of Mexico’s history rather than fundamental participants in its present and future.  

Not only does the Indigenous Law continue to deny legal autonomy to the indigenous communities of Mexico, it also leaves them legally vulnerable to hugely destructive neoliberal megaprojects, and the brutal intimidation tactics employed by the government in the imposition of these projects. Aldo Ruiz, a photographer whose work depicts the people’s resistance and state repression that occurred in San Salvador Atenco May 3^rd and 4^th this year, spoke about Atenco’s history of struggle in defence of the land and the centrality of this struggle in the wider indigenous rights movement, the constitutional ilegality of the second international airport proposed for Atenco (touted by President Vincente Fox as Atenco’s “jackpot lottery”), and the importance of solidarity in combatting not only the military force unleashed by the government against the people, but the war (also government-orchestrated) waged on them by the Mexican media. 

Speaking in reference to the popular resistance in Oaxaca, two representatives from the Popular People`s Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO) reiterated the importance of solidarity in both the formation of popular fronts striving for grassroots change (the APPO is a front for 350 social organizations and collectives), as well as in its continued success in defending the people’s rights to land, dignity and liberty. “What’s happening right now in Oaxaca is the result of the accumulation of years of problems without resolutions, years of the government ignoring us. Whoever the new governer is, he will no longer be able to ignore us, the APPO, the people of Oaxaca.” Talking about the future, the APPO representatives emphasized their resolve to continue resisting until the current state governer, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, steps down, and their hopes for the formation of a national popular assembly. In reference to Atenco Aldo Ruiz said the focus was on fighting for the freedom of the political prisoners still detained, and supporting those from Atenco suffering psychological and material trauma from the May 4^th attack 

An issue with massive social implications but that rarely makes news is the problematic faced by Mexican indigenous women, both inside and out of their communities. Over the noise of men talking constantly at the back of the room, Rosa Guzman Valdez, a Wirarika woman and lawyer, spoke about the inadequacy of education programs in her community and the disinterest and discrimination that indigenous women suffer inside the school environment. “They’re not interested in women, those in the education system. There’s almost no possibility of high school or university, most of us barely finish year 10.” Rosa said that the lack of education limits women’s chances of finding “dignified” work, (that is, work outside the servant/hospitality sector), and how the search for work forced many women to emigrate to the city to sell their handcrafts. In the city though, indigenous women face constant harrasment from the police, “for being indigenous, for being women, for being poor and for being emigrants”, with permission to sell their handcrafts often denied. Even with permission granted, the women are constantly being moved on. Additionally, living costs are significantly higher and harder to meet and there is often a deep sense of disorientation at breaking the ties with their communities.

Within Wirarika communities, Rosa emphasized that there are also significant social problems which need to be resolved from within the community rather than by outside oganizations. Talking about alcohol abuse, Rosa said it was a “shameful” thing to speak about but it a definite problem that contributes to social fragmentation. Also, women are often relagated to being home-keepers and mothers, and there exists a definite need to establish autonomous spaces available within the community where women can express themselves and participate in creating change.