OCR Text |
Show 12 Congress at Patzcuaro, it seems opportune to attempt a sort of balance sheet of what have been the results of the Indianist efforts undertaken from the new viewpoint of continental dimensions. Without being overly optimistic nor judging with a pessimism that would no more than act as a brake on all activity, we shall point out with the greatest possible objectivity the most important achievements and deficiencies in the field of Inter-American Indianism in the last 25 years. The guiding idea of Indianist action, that today appears almost obvious, was the recognition of the cultural hetereogeneity existing in the Latin American countries, the result of this ethnic makeup being a sort of mosaic of which the Indian groups formed a part. Because, while many of the descendants of the ancient pre-Hispanic settlers have mixed with the European immigrants or those from Africa, many others have retained, in spite of cultural contacts, traits and ways of life very much their own that are rooted in the pre-Columbian cultures. From this undeniable fact, Inter-American Indianism deduced the first tenet that would guide its action. No cultural change can be considered, even less undertaken if the physiognomy and special characteristics determining the structure of an Indian community are disregarded. To undertake any process of change in such important aspects as economic development, sanitation, education, etc., it is necessary to start with an integral knowledge of the cultural reality and the peculiar structure of the various types of communities within their own regional and national contexts. From this principle Inter-American Indianism deduced various conclusions. Among them, the need for having adequately trained personnel |