The Effect of Customary Law on Trust and Reciprocity in Mexico
21 Pages Posted: 27 Aug 2014
Date Written: 2014
Abstract
Mexico is an ethnically diverse country. Most Mexicans have (mixed) indigenous ancestry; 10-12 million Mexicans speak indigenous languages (of which there are some 60 to 70); indigenous communities with distinct cultures, histories, and institutions can be found throughout the country, particularly in the south. In recent decades, trends in juridical and political reforms in Mexico have moved in the direction of greater recognition of indigenous history and heritage. For example, the Mexican Constitution was amended in 2001 to recognize that “the nation has a multicultural composition originally nourished by (sustentada en) its indigenous peoples,” and to declare that indigenous pueblos have certain rights to autonomy and self-determination. Even if some of these changes are intended to be more symbolic than substantive, there have been a few prominent cases of true institutional reform that have the potential to fundamentally alter the development of indigenous communities and the relationship between indigenous peoples and the Mexican state.
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