Author(s):
Peter H. Herlihy, Ph.D.* - University of Kansas
Miguel Aguilar-Robledo, Ph.D.* - Universidad Autónoma De San Luis Potosí
Abstract:
This paper describes the methodology of the First Bowman Expedition of the American Geographical Society, called México Indígena. The prototype project, led by a multinational team of Latin Americanist geographers, focuses on the cultural geography of indigenous populations in Mexico. Free to choose our topic, we are studying neoliberal changes in Mexico's property regime and the gargantuan land certification/privatization program, called PROCEDE. We are building a multi-scale GIS that focuses on indigenous land use and land tenure. We use traditional, archival, and humanistic participatory research mapping (PRM) methodologies with GPS technology and ArcGIS software to build a digital regional geography. We have been careful to document the research in metadata and detailed reports. Our particular odyssey has uncovered the most significant land tenure change in Mexican history, one that will undo the revolutionary ejido and communal land holdings, turning social into private property.
