Indigenous Women Fight for Freedom in Taxco (1538): The Long Struggle for Justice in the Mines of Guerrero, Mexico
In recent years, Indigenous activists in the Mexican state of Guerrero have been successfully pushing back against the negative effects of foreign mining efforts on their communities. However, the fight for protection and justice in mining communities has a long history, originating in the earliest years of the European invasion of the Americas. This presentation will explore one of the earliest acts of legal resistance against the injustices of Spanish miners. It will follow the story of the legal battle of ten enslaved Indigenous women in Taxco, Guerrero and show how their brave testimony led to freedom for their entire household. Both then and now, Indigenous communities are at the forefront of battling exploitation brought about by mining in Mexico. The legacy of these courageous women underscores the powerful continuity of Indigenous resistance, linking past and present efforts to confront exploitation in Guerrero’s mining regions.