Sacred places in the Binnizá territories of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the face of mining and megaprojectsAbstract

Abstract

In this article I present some of the main guidelines to understanding the knowledge and practices of the original peoples of Oaxaca in the ethnoterritories that they historically inhabit, in particular in the sacred places, or places of memory, that are built as multi-significant symbols and that constitute collective identity emblems. Thereafter, I focus on the ethnographic presentation of these places in five Binnizá municipalities, which will allow the corroboration of their cultural relevance for these communities, also observing the ongoing conflictive relationships with state authorities and private companies that have introduced mining and megaprojects to their territories, such as the Trans-isthmian Corridor, which the said communities oppose. I conclude by arguing that the safeguarding of emblematic places of memory are the most powerful elements that actively summon communities in defense of their cultures, territories and resources, thus highlighting the cultural and political value of symbolic territoriality.