Cherán

In his book Crossing Over, Rubén Martínez explains that Cherán means "a place of fear" in the Purépecha language, alluding to its unfriendly landscape of "abrupt, irregular peaks and chasms" which bodes disaster to anyone taking a careless step.

Like many other Michoacán communities, Cherán suffered from organized crime, bribed politicians and corrupt police. Kidnappings, extortion, murders, and illegal logging of the local forest—the lifeblood of the community—were part of daily life.[2][3][4] The Los Angeles Times provides the background of the 2011 uprising:[5]

That was the year that residents, most of them indigenous and poor, waged an insurrection and declared self-rule in hopes of ridding themselves of the ills that plague so much of Mexico: raging violence, corrupt politicians, a toothless justice system and gangs that have expanded from drug smuggling to extortion, kidnapping and illegal logging.

“To defend ourselves," explained a community leader, "we had to change the whole system — out with the political parties, out with City Hall, out with the police and everything. We had to organize our own way of living to survive”.[5] Thus, on April 15, 2011 a group of women and men using rocks and fireworks attacked a busload of illegal loggers associated with the Mexican drug cartel La Familia Michoacana and armed with machine guns. The vigilantes assumed control over the town, expelled the police force and politicians and blocked roads leading to oak forest on a nearby mountain which had been subject to illegal logging by armed gangs supported by corrupt officials.[6][7][8]

Community policing has been extended to twenty-thousand inhabitants, and over 27,000 hectares of communal land.[8] Neighborhood watch members patrol both the town and the surrounding forests.[9]

The Constitution of Mexico permits self government and self-policing by indigenous communities.[10] Following lengthy legal battles, the Mexican government is treating autonomous Cherán as a legal self-governing indigenous community.[6][9]

"In Cherán’s unique form of government, the real power lies wholly with the people. There is not a single decision taken without consensus, from who will get a local job in construction, to the allocation of public services and overseeing the spending of the budget. The authority of the community’s assembly is above any other local governmental body."[2]

The community elects a 12-person Council, "K'eri Jánaskakua," and has about 180 fogatas (campfires / community fires) in its four neighborhoods.[11][12][10]

The Third Council (Council of Elders, High Council, Consejo Mayor, Consejo de Keris) was named in 2018.[13][10] Other representative bodies include a youth council, a women's council, neighborhood councils, and a communal territory council focused on business development.[10]

The town has prohibited political parties and political campaigns.[10][14]

According to the Guardian,[15] Cherán's version of direct democracy provided "a simple solution to the vote-buying and patronage which plague Mexican democracy." Direct democracy, according to one community activist, not only saved the forest, but brought peace: Cherán in 2017 had the lowest homicide rate in the entire state of Michoacán and perhaps even in the entire country of Mexico.[15]

Rubén Martínez describes the length of Cherán from north to south as about three-quarters of a mile.

The three prominent buildings in Cherán include the church, the presidencia municipal, and the casa de cambio, or currency exchange center. In 2000, the government website reported the town was home to 2,589 dwellings.[17]

In 2000, the municipal website of Cherán reported that 80% of water is potable, 60% of the roads are paved, 90% of the streets have public lighting, and 35% of garbage is collected.[17] The municipality also reported having pre-school, primary, and secondary educational facilities.[17] Adults have access to the services of the Instituto Nacional de Educación.[17]

A rainwater capture system located at the extinct volcano Cerro de Kukundikata covers 1.5 hectares. It is capable of providing 20,000 liters of drinking water, sufficient for two months of drought.[18][19]

The average annual wage is estimated at about US$3,000.

In 2007, agriculture and raising livestock accounted for 49% of Cherán’s economic activity: corn, wheat, potatoes, beans and oats make up the bulk of the community’s harvest while its local farmers raise cows, horses, pigs, sheep and goats. Wooden products, including furniture and furniture repair, and cork account for less than 19% of the economy. Commercial production of apples, peaches, apricots, pears and plums comprised 10% of Cherán’s economic resources. There were essentially no services besides fondas, or small restaurants, that serve local fare.[20]

In 2015, the town created its own collectively owned sawmill, greenhouse and concrete factory.[19] The town engages in the production of resin and concrete blocks for construction.[21]

XEPUR-AM, a government-run indigenous community radio station that broadcasts in Purépecha, is based in Cherán. The community also has a YouTube channel and blog. Community television station TV Cherán was launched in Nov 29, 2014.[9]

• Cherán K'eri. 5 años de autonomía
• The communal citizenry of Cherán, slideshow (in Spanish)
• https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/bullsandsaints/ An undocumented family in the US decides to return to Cheran