| OCR Text |
Show 11 It was not until the first decades of this century that we began to find, even though only sporadically, work and projects, many of them of great value like those undertaken by the famous Marshal Can-dido Mariano da Silva Rondon to aid the jungle-dwellers of Brazil or those undertaken in Mexico from an integral viewpoint, truly anthropological, by Dr. Manuel Gamio as early as 1917, upon the establishment of the Department of Anthropology in the Ministry of Agriculture and Development. But, as we said before, it was noc until April, 1940, when the decisive step was taken toward formulating a program of Inter-American dimensions aimed at aiding the Continent's native populations, with the holding of the I. Inter-American Indianist Congress in the city of Patzcuaro. The first result of this Inter-American Indianist meeting was the birth of an international organization that, with affiliates throughout the Continent, was to scientifically investigate the living conditions of the Indian populations with a view toward undertaking concrete programs aimed at integral development. That organization, the Inter-American Indian Institute, began to function shortly thereafter with headquarters in Mexico City. Its first elected Director, the great Indianist, Professor Moises Saenz, unfortunately was not able to hold the post due to his premature death in 1941. The representatives of the countries who had affiliated with this organization then elected Dr. Manuel Gamio„ Dr. Gamio, who rightly has been called the "Father of Mexican Anthropology" and initiator of the integral method of investigation, acted as Director until his death in 1960. In now commemorating Inter-American Indian Day 25 years after the |
