Spotlight: Indigenous people. (Mexico on the Web).The National Inter-Censual Survey estimates that there are almost 6.8 million indigenous people in Mexico, while the National Indigenous Institution (in an extrapolation (mathematics, algorithm) extrapolation - A mathematical procedure which estimates values of a function for certain desired inputs given values for known inputs. If the desired input is outside the range of the known values this is called extrapolation, if it is inside then from the National Survey) pushes that number up to 10 million--www.sedesol.gob.mx/perfiles/nacional/00_summary.html. Whatever figure is used, one definite trend has been an increase in the percentage and absolute number of Mexican citizens who identify themselves as "indigenous." Demographers note that the population of indigenous peoples The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. is no longer declining, but growing at 2.7% annually. Last fall, this column initiated a review of websites focusing on ethnic identity and migration. This month we continue this investigation with a summary of the best online resources highlighting Mexico's indigenous population. NATIONAL INDIGENOUS INSTITUTE www.ini.gob.mx webmaster@ini.gob.mx **** (out of five *'s) The federal government's National Indigenous Institute (INI) has some of the best resources online; most are in Spanish, with a few in English. Among the most notable is the 1997 Profile of Indigenous Groups in Mexico prepared in collaboration with the World Bank.--www.sedesol.gob.mx/perfiles/nacional/english/index.html. The study covers the gamut See color gamut. gamut - The gamut of a monitor is the set of colours it can display. There are some colours which can't be made up of a mixture of red, green and blue phosphor emissions and so can't be displayed by any monitor. of current issues as well as history, demography demography (dĭmŏg`rəfē), science of human population. Demography represents a fundamental approach to the understanding of human society. , migration and identity issues. The report provides a number of fascinating observations, such as the statistic statistic, n a value or number that describes a series of quantitative observations or measures; a value calculated from a sample. statistic a numerical value calculated from a number of observations in order to summarize them. that 30% of the major protected areas
Protected areas in the country have indigenous populations living in or around them. Another of the website's gems is an online university--www.unilini.gob.mx--that shows great potential. This site includes virtual courses, such as one on indigenous languages Noun 1. indigenous language - a language that originated in a specified place and was not brought to that place from elsewhere language, linguistic communication - a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols; "he taught foreign which could be of great assistance to those wishing to learn Nahuatl, Tzeltal, Maya, Mixteco, Otomi or Huasteco. The only thing missing on the INI website is more up-to-date information and a better navigation bar A set of buttons or graphic images typically in a row or column used as a central point that link you to major topic sections on a Web site. If the navigation bar is a single graphic image with multiple selections, it is known as an imagemap. See imagemap. . NATIVE WEB www.nativeweb.org webmaster@nativeweb.org **** With over 40 hosted sites, the NativeWeb portal is the online publisher and yellow pages for resources about "indigenous cultures around the world." This content-rich archive also features an excellent collection of links, with Mexico well-represented--www.nativeweb.org/resources.php?name=Mexico&type=2& location=324. More than 50 listings connect to other websites, from A to Z, or from the town of Acaxochitlan to Zapatistas. The best part of NativeWeb is that it is frequently updated. Users will find it easy to submit related sites, and the forums invite real-time participation. TARAHUMARA.ORG www.tarahumara.org info@tarahumara.com.mx *** This bilingual site boasts a beautiful design and shows great promise, though it does not appear to have been updated recently. Animated movies and helpful maps make this a fun site to visit. What remains unclear is who is responsible for the site--is it the Tarahumara (also known as the Raramuri) or the first-class train that runs through the region? On the plus side are the photo galleries and maps of the Sierra. OTHER TOP CONTENDERS: Indigenous Peoples and Conservation www.panda panda, name for two nocturnal Asian mammals of the order Carnivora: the red panda, Ailurus fulgens, and the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca. .org/resources/publications/sustainability/indigenous/proj_m ex.htm A fascinating essay prepared by the World Wildlife Fund. It would be much more helpful if the essay linked to reports or studies, such as the INI profile or its own in-house reports on conservation work with indigenous peoples. Indigenous Peoples of Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. - LANIC LANIC Latin American Network Information Center LANIC Local Area Network Interface Card LANIC Lan Interface Card http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/indigenous The University of Texas has assembled this index of online resources. A separate section covers indigenous languages. Red de Informacion Indigena www.laneta.apc.org/rci A Mexico-based, Spanish-language resource collection focusing on indigenous issues around the world. America Indigena www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/9449 A collection of articles in Spanish. Ron Mader is the host of the popular website www.planeta.com and co-founder of The Mexico Network--www.mexiconetwork.info. |
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