Welcome to Guadalupe Pastrana (Nahua), Our New Indigenous Rights Radio Producer! 

Meet Guadalupe Pastrana (Nahua), Indigenous Rights Radio Producer! Guadalupe is originally from the Malacachtepec Momoxco community of Milpa Alta, southeast of Mexico City. Her community is one of the last surviving Indigenous communities in this area. She studied Communication Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she is now finishing her master's degree in Latin American Studies. She has collaborated on community communication projects in Milpa Alta and in other communities, as well as organized community multimedia production workshops. She is the producer and scriptwriter of a radio series on Radio Educación, a Mexican public station, dedicated to raising awareness about the struggles and experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico. Her community experience has made her certain that the conservation of land by Indigenous Peoples is the only way to ensure the continuity of life and in this journey, Indigenous Peoples having their own means of communication is fundamental. Contact email: [email protected].

We recently spoke to Guadelupe about her story. 

Cultural Survival: Tell us about your community?

Guadalupe Pastrana: In Milpa Alta, we have a long history of struggle and resistance. For centuries we have defended our territory, and thanks to this we currently maintain possession of more than 28,000 hectares of communally-owned lands, which include vast extensions of oyamel and oak forests.

CS: How did you choose this line of work and studies?

GP: Since I was a child I have walked, together with my grandmother and my parents, with my community. For these reasons, I began to participate in community communication projects at a very young age. Later, I decided to study Communication Sciences with the aim of acquiring new theoretical and technical tools that allow me to contribute to the construction of new community communication projects.

CS: What are you passionate about?

GP: I am passionate about knowing that the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico and the world are still alive, resisting, and building collectively. I am passionate about listening to the stories and anecdotes that people from other communities tell. I am passionate about knowing and collaborating in communication projects born within Indigenous and campesino communities. I am also passionate about poetry in Indigenous languages.


CS: Why is Indigenous radio so important?

GP: Radio is an essential tool in the life of Indigenous communities.  It serves in land defense, in language revitalization, for the dissemination of our music, and to make our problems, struggles, and demands visible. Mainstream media ignores Indigenous Peoples or presents us in ways that are alien to who we really are. For this reason, working in Indigenous radio (radio by our Peoples and for our Peoples) is an important task in our journey towards the recognition and fulfillment of our rights.
  

CS: How did you get involved with Cultural Survival?

GP: I learned about Cultural Survival 6 or 7 years ago, when I listened to some radio broadcasts about the struggle of the Indigenous communities in Central America. From that moment I began to constantly listen to Cultural Survival’s podcasts and follow CS’ social networks. In 2021, I decided to apply for the Indigenous Rights Radio Producer opening.  

CS: What are your hopes in your new role at Cultural Survival?

GP: As Indigenous Rights Radio Producer at Cultural Survival, I hope to bring quality productions and topics of interest to the world's Indigenous radio stations. I also hope to contribute to making our struggles visible and to strengthening community communication processes.

 

¡Estamos encantados de anunciar que nuestro equipo en Cultural Survival se está expandiendo! Nuestro personal y la junta son en su mayoría Indígenas y provienen de las diversas comunidades y regiones a las que servimos. Nuestro equipo en crecimiento tiene un diverso conjunto de experiencia, habilidades, conocimiento cultural e identidades  que a través de su liderazgo, continuades colonizando, Indigenizando y profundizando nuestro trabajo. Como ONG dirigida por Indígenas y como organización sin fines de lucro registrada en los Estados Unidos, defendemos los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas y apoyamos la autodeterminación, las culturas y la resistencia política de las comunidades Indígenas desde 1972. Durante casi 50 años, Cultural Survival se ha asociado con estas comunidades para promover sus derechos y culturas en todo el mundo.  

 

¡Conoce a Guadalupe Pastrana (Nahua), Productora de Radio de Derechos Indígenas! Es originaria de la comunidad de Malacachtepec Momoxco, Milpa Alta, ubicada al sureste de la Ciudad de México y una de las últimas comunidades Indígenas que sobreviven en esta urbe. Estudió Ciencias de la Comunicación en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y es maestrante del programa de posgrado en Estudios Latinoamericanos por la misma casa de estudios. Ha colaborado en proyectos de comunicación comunitaria en su natal Milpa Alta y en otras comunidades; además, ha participado en la organización y realización de talleres comunitarios de producción multimedia. Es productora y guionista de una serie radiofónica dedicada a difundir la palabra, las luchas, el caminar y la experiencia organizativa de los pueblos originarios de México, misma que se transmite a través de Radio Educación, emisora pública mexicana. De su comunidad heredó la certeza de que la conservación del territorio es, para los Pueblos Indígenas, la única forma de asegurar la continuidad de la vida, y un caminar necesario para que los pueblos tengan sus propios medios de comunicación. Correo de contacto: [email protected]. 

Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience since 1972. We envision a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.