by Alexander Manda
MEXICO CITY, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The government of Mexico City is promoting
respect for indigenous culture, including languages and medicine, head of
community equality for the city, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
Indigenous people "have been excluded (from the mainstream society) for
centuries because of culture, language and habits," Maria Rosa Marquez Cabrera
said. "This has been reducing but that does not mean it has ceased to exist."
The Mexico City is trying to address the issue by, among others, reviewing
cases of indigenous citizens in prisons under its jurisdiction and supporting
indigenous herbalists, she said.
Marquez explained that some jailed indigenous people are stuck in prison
because they miss paperwork or are unable to pay small fines.
"Many indigenous people coming from other areas of the nation don't have a
birth certificate," she said. "Some have not been subject to a fair legal
process because of their financial condition, physical condition and because
they only speak their own language."
"There are cases of indigenous people who have been kept in psychiatric
prison because they do not speak Spanish," she said.
Last year, the city reviewed cases of 500 indigenous prisoners and secured
the parole of 61 by helping them with small fines and paperwork or by
overturning convictions.
Marquez said the municipal government opened an agency in 2007 under the
public prosecutors' office to deal with indigenous people and ensured that there
are translators for each language. Officials are also working to ensure that all
citizens have essential documents.
Later this year, the city will begin making announcements about public
services in five indigenous languages on the public transport system, including
the Metro.
Mexico has more than 70 indigenous languages, and 57 of them are spoken in
Mexico City. Around 1.5 million people out of the 20 million population in
Mexico City and its satellite cities can be considered indigenous.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of Mexicans have indigenous roots and Mexico
City, known then as Tenochtitlan, was the capital of a centuries-old Aztec
empire before the Spanish arrived in 1519. For nearly five centuries since then,
European and later U.S. cultures have been dominating, while Mexico's homegrown
culture and those who represent it have been looked down on.
To change this, the city is also embracing indigenous peoples' traditional
healers, who use herbal medicines and massage to cure common illnesses.
In two years, the city has identified 60 traditional healers.
"The ways they (the traditional healers) have used to take care of health
problems are still very much alive," Marquez said. "We have been seeking out
those that have most authority. We have also worked with the Health Ministry on
traditional medicine and giving it a push."
Indigenous people use steam baths known as temascals and rely on
physiotherapists nicknamed "sobadores" (kneaders), which are now increasingly
popular among the middle-class.
The city is providing financial support for small farmers within the city
limits to grow medicinal herbs to meet the rising demand.
Last year, the city spent nearly 2.5 million pesos (191,279 U.S. dollars)
on 49 projects designed to support indigenous people.
"We are trying to create a culture of respect for diversity and foster the
idea that this enriches us as a nation and as people," Marquez said.
The Unite Nations marks on Aug. 9 the International Day of the World's
Indigenous People.
