Binnizá Women Promote the Care of Monte el Pitayal ‘Mujeres Binnizá Impulsan el Cuidado del Monte el Pitayal’
Daliri Oropeza Alvarez – MEXICO
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Story in original language [Spanish]:
Las mujeres binnizá o zapotecas del sur de Oaxaca encendieron las alertas cuando máquinas llegaron al Monte el Pitayal, lugar del cual obtienen insumos para la vida en comunidad. Un corredor industrial amenaza con destruir sus tierras, que conservan y cuidan, de donde obtienen recursos para hacer la comida tradicional llamada “totopos” y la medicina natural. Al ver amenazadas sus tierras, alertaron al pueblo y fueron a frenar las máquinas y quemar los autos invasores. En la fotografía, alzan las manos frente al Monte el Pitayal pues lograron detener la urbanización y anuncian que seguirán cuidando su tierra ante el avance de los megaproyectos interoceánicos en el Istmo.
Translated story:
The Binnizá or Zapotec women of southern Oaxaca raised the alarm when machines arrived at Mount Pitayal, a place from where they obtain supplies for community life. An industrial corridor threatens to destroy their land, which they conserve and care for, from where they obtain resources to make traditional food called “totopos” and natural medicine. Seeing their land threatened, they alerted the people and went to stop the machines and burn the invading cars. In the photograph, they raise their hands in front of Mount Pitayal because they managed to stop urbanization and announce that they will continue to care for their land in the face of the advance of interoceanic megaprojects on the Isthmus.
Author Bio:
Daliri Oropeza Alvarez is a journalist, photographer, and researcher. She is a narrator of social movements, peoples and struggles for land. She specialized in chronicle and documentary photography. She investigates issues of indigenous peoples, social and environmental movements, climate change, women, human rights, defense of territory, politics, pedagogies, education, and cultural rights. She currently collaborates with the independent media Pie de Página with chronicles, photos, reports, social networks and with an opinion column called Microfilme Postal. She is a teacher in Communication and Social Change.
