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Show 49 held in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico in April, 1940. The most important result of this congress was the creation of the Inter- American Indian Institute and shortly thereafter, of its affiliates the National Indian Institutes in various American countries. The author continues analyzing the principles guiding Indianist action, principally with relation to the tendency that can be called, "formation of autonomous nationalities," a tendency he considers not only unreal, but one that implies more violent action than that of integration into the national group. He emphasizes the importance of preparing personnel that must initiate and adapt development plans in the Indian communities and mentions the course that the training of personnel on the continent has taken. Finally, he analyzes the forms of planning and initiating the processes of induced acculturation, comparing the two types that have arisen from the integral investigation method of Dr. Manuel Gamio, the Coordinating Centers on one hand, and the coordinated application of already-existing forces and resources on the other. Sodi M., Demetrio. "Miguel Leon-Portilla y el Indigenismo Inter- Americano," America Indigena, XXVI, No. 4 (October, 1966), pp. 361-372. English Summary: The author of this article who, for six years, collaborated with Dr. Miguel Leon-Portilla as Secretary- General of the Institute presents some of the basic ideas of Dr. Leon-Portilla on Indianism and Inter-American Indianist action. Said activities and ideas can be set forth briefly as follows: a) To carry out Indianism based always on the applied social sciences, principally Social Anthropology and utilizing community development techniques. That is to say an eminently scientific Indianism in view of the fact that its "romantic" epoch should be terminated to begin a period of effective action. b) To collaborate with the various international organizations that work in any aspect with the continental Indian population, and to obtain assitance from them for the Institute's programs. It would be, in effect, the first time that an Inter- American plan has worked out since generally there has been a lack of coordination in this type of activity. c) To augment the economic resources of the Institute in order to be able to carry out more fully programs that truly benefit its member countries. |
