Community Museums of Oaxaca
by Teresa Morales

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This article was originally written in 1998.

Mexico -- The Union of Community Museums of Oaxaca, a grassroots organization of 16 villages, is offering ecological and cultural tours to six different villages in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca and six in the Mixteca region. The tours include visits to the museums, to little-known natural and archaeological sites, to see the work of candle-makers, fire-craker makers, traditional bakers, traditional healers, and the many different weavers and potters of these villages. Villagers explain the many uses of their environment through the recollection of materials for natural dyes, for healing, the use of maguey plants to make pulque, the harvesting of cinnamon bark, of ginger root, and coffee. Small groups can be provided bicycles and horses for some of the tours.

There are twelve community museums open to the public. Santa Ana del Valle has exhibits presenting archaeological artifacts, the local experience of the Mexican Revolution, the Danza de la Pluma (Feather Dance) and the traditional zapotec weaving. It is located 34 kilometers from the City of Oaxaca on highway 190, and three kilometers from the small city of Tlacolula. Teotitlán del Valle has a museum located in what used to be the municipal marketplace, with exhibits covering archaeological discoveries, the zapotec weaving and the customs involved in the traditional weddings. Teotitlán is 28 kilometers from the City of Oaxaca, 4 kilometers before arriving at Tlacolula on highway 190. San Jose el Mogote has a museum located in the reconstructed "Hacienda del Cacique". Its archaeological exhibit includes discoveries from 10 years of continuous excavations. Other themes presented are the history of the hacienda and the towns' struggle to recover its lands. It is located at 12km on highway 170. At km33 on this same highway is the town of Santiago Suchilquitongo, which has a museum explaining the tomb. No.5 of Cerro de la Campana, which describes eight generations of a prehispanic ruling family. The exhibits also include a presentation of the tradition of the mayordomia, and of the local art of stone-carving. A few kilometers beyond, at km35 on highway 170 is the town of San Pablo Huitzo, whose museum is located in a 16th century Dominican convent. The exhibits will include archaeological artifacts and a collection of religious art, and are scheduled to open in May, 1997. In the Valley of Ocotlan, the town of San Pablo Huixtepec hosts a museum with archaeological artifacts and a description of their main fiesta of the "Senor del Jacal". It is located 40 kilometers from the City of Oaxaca on highway 131.

In the Mixteca region there is a community museum at San Martin Huamelulpan, which presents an extensive archaeological collection and an exhibit on traditional healing. This town is located on highway 125, about ten kilometers to the north of the small city of Tlaxiaco. Traveling along this same highway, fifteen kilometers to the south of Tlaxiaco, is the town of San Miguel del Progreso, which has a museum presenting historical photographs and documents concerning land tenure, the craft of weaving with the back-strap loom, and an archaeological collection. Thirty kilometers to the south of San Miguel, on an unpaved road, is the town of Santa Maria Yucuhiti, located on a hillside that drops 1,000 meters from the highlands to the coastal lowlands. Its community museum describes its archaeology, the town's struggles over land tenure and the Mixtec weaving.

Thirty kilometers to the North of Tlaxiaco is the Mixtec town of San Juan Mixtepec, which hosts a community museum presenting local archaeological finds, a description of the legend of the towns' foundation, and the local events of the Mexican Revolution. Forty kilometers to the north of the city of Huajuapan, on highway 125, is San Pedro and San Pablo Tequixtepec, whose museum contains an extensive archaeological collection of sculptured stone. At an hour and a half trip from the City of Oaxaca, traveling on the new superhighway to Mexico City, is the town of San Miguel Tequixtepec. It is located ten kilometers from the Coixtlahuaca exit. This town created its museum in a restored colonial building, and presents archaeological remains, documentation about an original Codex from this town, and an exhibit on the local craft of palm-leaf weaving.

 

Information and sale of tickets are available at the Union de Museos Comunitarios de Oaxaca

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