Readings & Resources
Annotated Bibliography (Regional)
Selections from Indigenous Children: Rights and Reality - A Report on Indigenous Children and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child
Global • Asia • Africa • Pacific • North America & Europe • Latin America
Latin America
Hall, Gillette; Harry Anthony Patrinos. Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004. Hall & Patrinos, 2004.
This report asks whether the decade dedicated by the United Nations to Indigenous Peoples (1994-2004) was accompanied by material and human development gains for Indigenous persons in Latin America. It uses 1994 data as a baseline for comparison with 2004 data, and focuses on Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. The study found few gains in poverty reduction; some improvements in education but sizeable gaps remaining; a widening gap in earnings between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, even with the same education; problems with educational quality; a disproportionate incidence of child labour; systemic disadvantages in health services and health indicators; and inconsistent success in reaching Indigenous people through special programs.
Available online: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/ 0,,contentMDK:20505834~menuPK:258559~pagePK:146736~piPK:226340~ theSitePK:258554,00.html
Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico [Commission for Historical Clarification] (CEH). Guatemala: Memoria del Silencio / Memory of Silence / Tz’inil Na ‘Tab’al. Guatemala: CEH, 1999.
The is the official report of the truth commission charged with investigating human rights abuses committed during Guatemala’s civil war. Key findings are that 93% of all abuses were committed by government forces, and that genocide had been committed against the Maya people. One section focuses specifically on children. At the website below, parts of the report are available in English and the full report is available in Spanish.
Available online: http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/ceh.htm
Madani, María Teresa. “Bolivia: We Are Called Transformers.” Indigenous Affairs iss.3/4 (2005) Indigenous Youth, pp.23.
The author, a young Aymara woman, discusses identity politics in Bolivia. She focuses on the difficulties and opportunities presented by a dual identity, one that is both traditional and modern. She describes her Indigenous identity as connected to processes of self-realization.
MapUrbe Communication Team, “Argentina: The Mapunky and the Mapuheavy: Voices from the Margins.” Indigenous Affairs iss.3/4 (2005) Indigenous Youth, pp.6-9.
The authors describe how Mapuche youth in poor barrios of an Argentinean town are reworking elements of their Indigenous culture, along with elements of global culture such as heavy metal and punk rock, to form new expressions of Mapuche identity.
Vagner, Jytte. “Indigenous Wisdom in Bilingual Intercultural Education: A Field of Struggle,” Indigenous Affairs iss.1 (2005) Indigenous Peoples and Education, pp.21-25.
The authors examine the development of Bilingual Intercultural Education (BIE) in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. They report that while each government has committed to BIE in some way, current programs remain inadequate. Existing programs teach only small, isolated elements of Indigenous culture and remain inaccessible to many people.
Kroijer, Stine. “We’re Going Slowly Because We’re Going Far: Building an Autonomous Educational System in Chiapas.” Indigenous Affairs iss.1 (2005) Indigenous Peoples and Education, pp.16-20.
The author describes an innovative educational program developed by the Zapatistas in Chiapas. The program aims to increase local content, hire more local teachers, include community participation, and promote the strengths and creative of the students. The article describes a positive response in the community, but a negative response from the Mexican government.