Regional Renegotiations of Space Tojolabal Ethnic Identity in Las Margaritas, Chiapas

The indigenous Tojolabal people of southern Chiapas established an autonomous regional government in the late 1980s, derived from the Tojolabal Supreme Council (created earlier by the Federal Government) & from the National Peasant Convention (Confederacion Nacional Campesina, or CNC). The article documents the history of this little-studied group, its response to the agricultural crisis of the 1970s, its interactions with regional & national political organizations, & its recent experience of autonomy, citing earlier studies & interviews with community members. The Tojolabal government has become a model of indigenous autonomy & identity, & other indigenous groups in Chiapas might do well to follow their example, despite ongoing intracommunity conflicts over issues such as religion, politics, & land. 28 References. J. R. Callahan