Abstract

PIP: A broad grassroots movement of Native American organizations has banded together in Ecuador around the struggle for land, civil rights, and cultural identity. Examples of success include the titling of communal land claims, proliferation of bilingual education and literacy programs, reclamation of native musical and art forms, and a generally stronger determination of indigenous peoples to exercise their citizens' rights. Evidence of this latter achievement was most pronounced in June 1990, when the National Confederation of Indigenous Ecuadorians called for a nonviolent rural mobilization to publicize the government's failure to fulfill its commitments to Indian communities. The protest shut down major transportation arteries throughout the countryside and received broad media coverage. Even though few tangible results were immediately forthcoming, the action voiced loudly and clearly the disgruntlement and power of these peoples. Having tasted the potential for change and their own nascent power, members now want their organizations to go beyond efforts to revitalize culture and leverage better services from the state. They want help in earning and maintaining a secure family income in a time of national economic crisis, structural adjustment, and declining public sector support. These indigenous organizations are effectively being asked to become development organizations. The central question, however, is whether they can make the shift to generating income-producing projects. In an attempt to determine which economic roles these organizations are best suited to play, the authors review how existing federations have evolved.