Political Community, Foundings and Indigenous Peoples. A Case Study of Chiapas' Lacandon Community

Overview & Synopsis

This book contributes to the understanding and conceptualisation of the place of indigenous peoples in contemporary political systems by presenting and examining a case study of the Comunidad Zona Lacandona (Lacandon Community or LC), located in Chiapas (Mexico). The author explores the concept of ‘political community’ in relation to such an indigenous community. The case study provides a foundation for understanding and conceptualising the constitutive elements of a political community: a people, a territorial base, and forms of social, cultural, economic and political organisation. To gain a deeper insight into the significance of concepts such as 'people', 'territory', and 'institutions', this book presents a conceptual framework for analysing indigenous peoples, nations, tribes and communities, with a particular focus on the principles of self-determination, autonomy, self-government and consent. The framework is based on the conceptual foundations established by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and emphasises the critical role of those four concepts.