Huáncito: The Waste Problem in an Indigenous Town

Abstract

This text disputes the belief that the inhabitants of Huáncito, a small town located in “la cañada de los once pueblos” in northwestern Michoacán, Mexico, are dirty or environmentally unconscious people. It is argued that the town's rubbish is a reflection of the economic and social articulation generated by the modern assembly of what is called the urban and rural environment. Against the general idea that it is the customs of the villagers that cause the uncontrollable rubbish problem, the question is posed: At what point does rubbish become a problem for a marginalised indigenous people?