Community Forestry and the Paradoxes of Citizenship in Mexico: The Cases of Oaxaca and Guerrero

In this article we examine how the Mexican government's framing of the forestry sector has impacted the lives of indigenous populations in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. The image of the income-earning, nature-conserving, and duty-conscious indigenous peasant-citizen constructed through the government's development discourse acts as a norm that has shaped the expectations implicit—and sometimes explicit—in many forestry programs to this day. We examine ways in which these norms of good citizenship articulate with local identities, practices, and aspirations in two distinct contexts: that of a “model” community in Oaxaca and that of communities in Guerrero which the government would like to see aspire to this model. In doing so, we aim to provide a clearer view of the complex, multi-layered, and sometimes paradoxical relationships between the State and indigenous communities surrounding community forestry in Mexico.