¡El es Dios!: Mexican Folk Catholicism and its Rebellious Ecologies
Social Sciences
Anthropology
This thesis considers the way that Indigenous people in Mexico and the United States live their relationship with the Divine, particularly in the context of sanctuaries and celebrations for local Catholic Saints on their Feast Days. It also critiques how secular-modern definitions of religion influence the ways in which we understand these kinds of Indigenous devotional practices in Mexico. This research suggests that the Folk Catholicism practiced in Mexico is a product of “rebellious ecologies” in which humans practice an intimate relationship with Divine presence by way of their Indigenous rituals, such as the Danza de Concheros tradition. I argue that these rebellious ecologies are spaces that successfully contest the bounds and disconnection that modernity requires, and also call into question our notions of “proper Indigeneity” and “decolonization.” Ultimately, I argue that these rebellious ecologies are particularly important for the empowerment and resilience of Indigenous people in the Americas.
