It is said that if you want something so bad,
You have to keep trying until you get it!
This is what “The Cheran Community” of Mexico did!
Photo credit: Remezcla
The Cheran community is one of the indigenous communities
That has lived and lives right in the middle of the state of Michoacán, which is found in the western part of what is known as Mexico.
Photo credit: Transformative Cities
This community has always wanted to live as peacefully and communally as possible
To the extent that when the Aztec Empire (the very famous one from the year 1428) came in to try and change that, they fought for their lives then and in the future, as we have come to know.
Photo credit: NBC News
It’s known that this community of the Cheran has lived on land that originally stretched over 27,000 hectares of forest cover
In the recent past, over 20,000 hectares have been razed down (by our friends who we talk about here, all the time).
Do I need to mention what happens when the trees are cut down?
Photo credit: Atlas Obscura
All this happened on the watch of those in power…the politicians, at the time.
Can you imagine that over 200 trucks would swoop in everyday, to transport the loot out of the Cheran community lands?
Photo credit: AP News
They simply covered up these abuses and atrocities until the older women members of the Cheran community decided that they had enough.
That is because, all the members of this community belonged to different political parties!
(It was easier to divide and rule or play them, right?)
Photo credit: The San Diego Union-Tribune
It was after a number of courageous members of the community (27 women) decided to pick a leaf from the women there and set the date of “15th of April, 2011” as the day they will revolt against the status-quo!
Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
Did they have a plan? Yes, they did!
It was to stand in the way of the trucks that occasionally came in to pick up wood from the forests, pick up some stones and throw at them!
Did it work?
Yes, it did!
That’s because from then on, so many changes came into effect from then on….like;
Photo credit: El Pais in English
A very successful neighbourhood-watch system was formed to patrol the towns and the forest cover….
With their slogan being, “For Justice, Security and the Restoration of Our Territory”.
Photo credit: NBC News
They regularly met around bon-fires to forge pacts
Meant to ENSURE that nobody from outside their community managed to interfere in their administration.
Photo credit: The New York Times
They set up barricades to control whoever got into their area.
Photo credit: Bloomberg News
In that same year in November, the Superior Court of Mexico’s Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary cancelled the usual municipal elections in this community, in turn opening up doors to consultation for autonomy as a people!
To that effect, the K’eris council (made of elders) has since been established and self-governance is practiced without recourse to elections and independent of the formal system of Mexican political parties!
Photo credit: Atlas Obscura
Now, I want you to take a moment to read that entire paragraph
And imagine life, that way….
Away from all the lies the politicians keep spewing, the machine of capitalism and the brutality of the state!
Photo credit: Medium
I believe you are asking how they can do all this, seemingly away from the grasp of capitalism and still remain on course for what they set out to do.
They formed their own alternative media, in the Cheran Community.
How?
Photo credit: Intercontinental Cry
They started their own blog….
They started their own Facebook page…
And also, created their own YouTube channel!
Photo credit: Association for Progressive Communications
They didn’t stop there;
They started Radio Fogata, their own radio station in 2011
Which is strictly run by young people.
Photo credit: Indiegogo
And, in November of 2014, they started TV Cheran whose production is to highlight the significant effort being made to ensure the voice of the people of Cherán continues to be heard.
Photo credit: Indybay
According to Our World,
They even have a community ballad,
“Children of mother earth / our songs, ours prayers
Are rising up to the heavens / that our dreams may be heard
My people have awoken / they have begun to light the fire
The seeds are growing / hope is growing.”
Photo credit: NBC News
It is safe to say that life is getting back in this community
The tree line is getting more visible
The people there are living with more ease now….which goes without say that the crime rate has really gone down ever since they kicked out the cartels and the politicians!
Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
~ I hope this motivates you enough! ~
Thanks for the interesting read.very many untold stories indeed
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This is such an amazing read! The power of people when they band together for something good and important is absolutely powerful.
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What an incredible story, with some really nice photos! Thanks for putting this whole story together for us to learn more!
👍👍 you’re welcome.
Hhhhmmmm…alright then, boss! Thanks for sharing your content.
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Wow, it’s amazing what just a small group can do when they get together and work as a united front. That’s amazing they were able to save their way of living.
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This was such a great message. This is also a great way to showcase Mexican culture.
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WOW! I am so glad to see these people come together to fight for what they want and believe in for themselves and their families. Inspirational!
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I’ve never heard of this story before! I’m glad that people are fighting for what they deserve!
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Good for them! They saw injustice and took decisive action. Hopefully they have gained the respect of others and it will last well into the future.
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This is such a captivating and engaging read. I never heard about this before now. Thanks for sharing this motivational story.
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Thank you for this Eddie…. Inwould never have known about the Cheran Community. Good lessons to learn especially on the power of having a plan.
😍👏🏿 you’re welcome, Nyambura.
What a beautiful and empowering story. Especially the fact that a group of women began the idea of this revolt. Great post and powerful photos!
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People become powerful when they are band together. This is an interesting read! Thank you for sharing!
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I was not familiar with this story of Cheran. We have explored the Yucatan quite a bit, and I have not heard about this before. Such an interesting history!
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I’m glad that they united and fought them off. Thanks for sharing this amazing story and spreading awareness.
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