Projects in San Pablo Huixtepec, Zimatlán

San Pablo Huixtepec is situated in the Valley of Zimatlán, Oaxaca. The town was a Zapotec settlement founded in 1525 from surrounding mountain communities. San Pablo is one of a number of municipios in Oaxaca to have its own community museum built and operated by residents of the town. The museum contains archaeological pieces from San Pablo Viejo, the historical site from which the town connects its history, along with an array of maps from the 18th and 19th centuries that symbolically document and spatially define the town’s history and territory. The museum also contains an extensive collection of village documents ranging from important records of litigation and mayordomo appointments, to historical correspondence, and photos.

Students from the Field Methods Course, in collaboration with village authorities, had the unique opportunity of contributing toward the organization, preservation, and digitalization of the museum’s archives and photos. They also participated in the enrichment of museum resources by actively soliciting and recording oral histories from dozens of community members. These recordings will be preserved within the municipal museum, so that future generations of San Pableños have access to a number of diverse voices from the past.

This summer, students will continue the process of archival digitalization, preservation, oral history solicitation, as well as ethnographic research on topics that include immigration, youth reintegration, nutrition, and challenges facing the community within the context of globalization.