Ejido 20 de Noviembre, Calakmul, Campeche,

MEXICO

Aalto LAB Mexico - October 10, 2012

Claudia Garduño García

Location

Our hostel is located in Zoh-Laguna, about 10 km away from Xpujil

Xpujil is the main community in Calakmul, that’s where the governmental palace, highschool, hospital and gas stations are located. It is the middle point in the road between the cities of Chetumal and Escárcega.

20 de Noviembre is located 5 km away from the road that connects Chetumal and Escárcega. Driving 10 km towards Escárcega, lies Xpujil.

Zoh-Laguna HistoryZoh-Laguna was founded in the 40’s. The company called Caobas Mexicanas established there, aiming to exploiting mahogany in the region.

People who live there now tell that the company was operated by some Polish people. The European influence can be seen in the construction style of their houses.

The company injected money to the region, and placed it in the map. But Caobas Mexicanas’ extraction of the precious wood resulted in the depletion of the place. Even to our days, “the jungle” has not recovered.

Besides the ruins of the wood company, Zoh Laguna preserves the lagoon, and it is a clear example of the appreciation for color in facades that can be seen throughout Mexico, and especially in Campeche.

Zoh-Laguna nowadays

20 de Noviembre... bad news

Calakmul Biosphere is an area that corresponds to 3 different municipalities of Campeche. The borderline in Calakmul is located before Xpujil, which means 20 de Noviembre is NOT located within the Biosphere.

20 de Noviembre History

20 de noviembre was founded 43 years ago, by a group of Mayan people from Dzibalché, Calkiní, Campeche (due to land distribution made by the government). They originally planned to extract chicle (chewing gum). As soon as they arrived, they acknowledged it should not be destroyed; “it smelled beautiful”, the elderly told their children.

20 de Noviembre good news

The “ejido” has got its own regulations:

It measures 35000 hectares, out of which everyone owns a piece of land within town for their homes, and a piece of land for their crops the rest is a common property. They call that common property “el monte” (the mountain), it is the jungle. It is divided in 3 types of land: huma, reservoir, and forestry permission.

They have subscribed to the governmental programs “environmental services”, where they get paid for taking care of the jungle, and CO2, where they get paid accordingly with the O2 production.

Everyone has the right to be warned 3 times; if someone breaks the rules one more time, the punishment is exile.

Activities for sustenance: Agriculture

The two most important crops are corn and beans. but they also grow squash, tomato, and chilli.

They sow in May, when the rainy season begins. They harvest in September. It rains heavily, and there is always risk of hurricane. When great part of the crop is lost to the rain (like this year), they have a sow again in January, to harvest in April.

Their corn is their most sacred belonging. They will only sell it in emergency situations; especially because of its price and cost: it is bought to them on 3 pesos per kilo, and sold back for 7 pesos per kilo.

Activities for sustenance: Agriculture in solarios

They also grow fruits and herbs in their “yards”, like chaya, orange, and mandarine.

Activities for sustenance: Poultry

The one who wants to eat meet shall rise their own poultry. There is no cattle nor goats (although there are goats in Zoh-Laguna).

They have pigs, which are usually slaughtered for their only party, on November 20th, when they celebrate the foundation of the town.

Economical Activities: Wood

Sawmill Furniture crafts

Economical Activities: Textiles

Economical Activities: forestry & agriculture

Chewing gum, pepper, jalapeño chilli

Economical Activities: apiculture

Two types of bees’ products are made:

From common bee: honey

From “melipona” bee: soaps

Some producers have been certified as organic, others are in the process.

Economical Activities: ecotourism

The plan is integrated by the archeological site, Rio Bec, the cultural house, and the crafts (wood, textile, and apiculture). The road to Rio Bec is usually in terrible conditions scaring the tourists away.

Neverhteless, the potentialities include a diversity of local dishes.

Infrastructure: housesThe craft store was buit in the traditional Mayan style: rounded, with walls made of woven wooden sticks, kept together with mud, with a palm-woven roof.

Most of the houses are made of wood, and have now got a metallic roof. They’ve aslo got a “solid ground” (cement)

Through the government’s program for the development of prioritary zones, many have got a brick made house. They didn’t take the other houses down, though; the brick construction simply expanded the area of the now hybrid constructions.

Infrastructure: stoves

Infrastructure: water

Water tanks made by an NGO called SANUT.

And the traditional way for collecting rain water.

The new houses include toilets flushed with water. They have a way out, but not a way in, so that water has to be carried in buckets. (Don’t know where exactly is that water drained)

They wash while sitting down on a wooden bench, and pouring water from a bucket with a plastic vase. Water is heated in any of the stoves, preferably the wood one.

Infrastructure: roadsRain damages and/or bloks the roads. Rio Bec, the archeological site which is closest to 20 de Noviembre, can only be visited during the dryest season (April).Visitors are interested in archeology.

Religion

There are 3 religious groups in 20 de Noviembre:Presbiterian, Jehovah Witnesses, and Catholics.

The Presbiterian and the Jehovah Witnesses have their temples, but the Catholics haven’t, they celebrate mass at their homes.