Preserving heritage through digital access: connecting indigenous communities

By providing indigenous communities with digital access, REDES A.C. is strengthening their autonomy and preserving their heritage.

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Theresa Haans
30 October 2024
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REDES A.C. is working on creating equitable access to connectivity. Through organizing a workshop for indigenous community members, they will provide necessary education to enable indigenous communities to manage their own networks, strengthen local infrastructure, and find the best internet usage practices that are tailored to their context. Following our recent partnership in Northern Mexico, we asked REDES A.C. some questions about the project.

Where will the project take place? 

The project will take place in the Raramuri communities of Mogotavo and Kwechi, both in the estate of Chihuahua, north of Mexico. 

Why did you decide on these specific communities? 

After four modules in a training programme for the creation of communication projects in the North of Mexico, two community networks of the internet were born: in Kwechi and Mogotavo. We want to follow that training process and work together for technical professionalization and to have a critical view about the internet and this informational technologies.

What will they learn in the training? 

The training will be about solar energy and autonomous servers for the creation of community archives. Training in solar energy is important to ensure electricity access for these communities. Access to electricity service is deficient or non-existent in several communities, which would mean that internet access would be disrupted and unstable. With solar energy training, the communities will be capable of ensuring their own energy resources.

The second part of the training is on community intranets and digital archives. Through digital archives, the collective memory and knowledge of the indigenous communities can be preserved.  

The workshops will be in the two communities that have community networks, and the intention is to strengthen the infrastructure. The training will be given to the Raramuri communities and the participants of the training programme that represents different indigenous communities in the north of Mexico.

Why is it important that indigenous communities get this technical training?

Indigenous communities in Mexico suffer a strong process of exclusion in different areas by the state, and communication is no exception. However, historically they have their own forms of communication that strengthen their traditional ways of being. This technical training on telecommunications allows indigenous communities to imagine, design and create appropriate technologies for their communities, their dreams and needs. Also, to protect their own territories and communications from the digital risks that connectivity can have, and in the same line, to create their own platforms and content. Through the workshops in this project, they will understand these technologies as a means, not a goal. It enables them to utilize their skills as a means to strengthen their own autonomy.