Guillermo Bonfil Batalla was born in 1935, which is an estimation in part by the American Anthropology Obituary Index in assumption because there isn't a correct record of his birth; he died in 1991. Batalla was a Mexican anthropologist who studied Indian communities in Mexico and the indigenization of the communities by the dominant society. Indigenists find that it's their responsibility to help out dying civilizations by turning around their way of life and thereby destroying the culture that helped them survive and exist today.
In Batalla's published book, Mexico Profundo (1996), he argues that many Mexican civilizations have been destroyed by western influence. Mesoamerican civilizations in Mexico are still in existence today, although not as vast as they once were. These civilizations are poor but still live their lives following the ancient customs of their ancestors. These Mesoamericans live their lives day by day growing their own crops, staying in balance with nature and working to serve their community. These are the civilizations that Batalla wished to preserve but instead saw them being destroyed because indigenists felt the need to impose for the survival of the peoples in it.
Batalla described three steps of resistance that explain the survival of civilizations: reinterpretation, innovation, and appropriation. An example of reinterpretation would be understanding a culture's past in a different way because it is explained differently than the intention of the original culture. Innovation examples would be using a modern tool such as a drill instead of hand carved stone tools. An appropriation example would be introducing the horse to farming communities who've never used them. This horse would become introduced into their way of life after time without being in the community, originally, but the people would see it as the only way they could get the work done after time passes.
Batalla passed away in 1991 and 5 years later Mexico
Profundo was published by University of Texas Press. He also published
many other books primarily in Spanish context. These titles include Pensar
nuestra cultura : ensayos, and Indentidad Y Pluralismo Cultural En
America Latina.
References
University of Texas Press,
http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/bonmex.html, (March, 2004)
Contemporary Issues,
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~pyoung/Issues.html#Bonfil, (March, 2004)
Obituary Index,
http://homepages.stmartin.edu/fac_staff/dprice/deadbook.htm, (March, 2004)
Written By: Amara Alahaideb
Edited By: Andy Becker, 2006