Negotiating Sovereignties: Competing Governance and Planning Logics in the Indigenous Municipality of Hueyapan, Mexico

Abstract

In this thesis, I investigate governance and planning in the Indigenous municipality of Hueyapan, Morelos, Mexico. As an Indigenous municipality, Hueyapan is at once an Indigenous community that self-governs based on customary practice, as well as a municipality that is subordinated to state and federal law. I find that these conflicting aspirations create dynamic negotiations of sovereignties, resulting in a compromise between customary practice and state law. I investigate how this conflict manifests in relation to the Municipal Development Plan required of all municipalities, which, in the case of Hueyapan, must be adapted to customary practice. I emphasize the importance of well-established Indigenous governance to effectively assert Indigenous customs in state-led planning. I conclude by speculating on future directions for sovereignty negotiations at larger ecological scales, beyond municipal boundaries.