Aura Cumes is a Maya Kaqchiquel from Guatemala, thinker, writer, teacher and activist. She assumes as a political ethical principle to question all forms of domination. Much of her efforts have focused on the fight against sexism and racism, seen as problems produced by two major systems of domination: colonialism and patriarchy. D. in anthropology from the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (ciesas) Mexico. M.A. in Social Sciences from flacso Guatemala. Co-compiler of the book La encrucijada de las identidades, feminismos y mayanismos en diálogo (2006) and co-author of the research Mayanización y vida cotidiana, el discurso multicultural en la sociedad guatemalteca (2007).

Discrepancias

Debates on Cultural Heritage and the Commercialization of Collective Expressions

  • Aura Cumes
  • Jesús Antonio Machuca Ramírez
  • Suely Kofes
  • Xóchitl Eréndira Zolueta Juan

  • moderator Rachel Barber

In the last decade, a wave of accusations has been launched against brands and companies for using cultural elements of indigenous groups. In Mexico, several cases have had considerable resonance: the complaint by the Mixe community of Tlahuitoltepec against the French company Isabel Marant for copying its Xaam nïxuy blouse; the protest by the Secretary of Culture, Alejandra Frausto, against the fashion house of Carolina Herrera for the use of embroidery from Tenango de Doria and the sarape from Saltillo; and on three different occasions the fashion clothing company Zara has been accused of plagiarism for using designs from Aguacatenango, Chiapas.