Audio and Text - 9 Radio Spots in 13 languages

On July 11, 1990, the Mexican government ratified Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries. The basics of the agreement include respect for social and economic organization, culture, and identity. In PART III, Recruitment and Conditions of Empoyment, the convention says: "Governments shall, within the framework of national laws and regulations, and in co-operation with the peoples concerned, adopt special measures to ensure the effective protection with regard to recruitment and conditions of employment of workers belonging to these peoples, to the extent that they are not effectively protected by laws applicable to workers in general. (Art. 20.1), and that "that workers belonging to these peoples are not subjected to working conditions hazardous to their health, in particular through exposure to PESTICIDES or other toxic substances." (Art 20.3.b)

In Part IV, Education and Means of Communication, "Governments shall adopt measures appropriate to the traditions and cultures of the peoples concerned, to make known to them their rights and duties, especially in regard to labour, economic opportunities, education and health matters, social welfare and their rights deriving from this Convention. If necessary, this shall be done by means of written translations and through the use of mass communications in the languages of these peoples." (Art. 30).

Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution states that "the law protects and promotes development of languages, cultures, and traditions of indigenous peoples."

These RADIO clips are available in Spanish and 12 indigenous Mexican languages.

However, the protection and promotion of indigenous languages has been limited by Article 75 of the Federal Radio and Television Act, which establishes that "Stations shall use the national language for their broadcasts. The Ministry of the Interior may authorize, in special cases, the use of other languages, if it shall include a version in Spanish, integrated or in summary, as authorized by said Ministry."

The Huichol and Pesticides Project has been pressing authorities to modify Article 75 since December, 2001, and to explicitly include support for indigenous Mexican languages and cultures in new legislation governing electronic communication mediums.