This presentation will explore the question “What is Comunalidad (community)?” in Oaxaca. It will further focus on the lived experience of Comunalidad in communities across the Sierra Norte by outlining the four pillars: Territory, Authority, Labor, and Fiesta in detail. This presentation will include excerpts of dialogue from real people living in the communities who practice this way of life every day. While often criticized for their hold on traditional practices, these ancient concepts are reinvented constantly to adapt to the changing world around them. By the end of the presentation it will be clear that the customs (usos y costumbres) evoked by these communities are not a romantic hold on the past but have evolved into modern practices continuously informed by global forces.

Presenter:

Taylor Holmes is a Master’s student at The New School for Social Research in the Politics department with a written focus on Latin American social movements and communal ethics. In 2018, she began to collaborate with the renowned intellectual Gustavo Esteva in critical discussion, research, and editing at Universidad de la Tierra - Oaxaca. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Anthropology and International Development studies from Trent University, where she completed a thesis titled "The Global Crisis of Ethics: Exploring the Third Option," which details her extensive fieldwork undertaken in communities throughout the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca.