Rebellious Forests

Chern is a social, political, and anthropological phenomenon without precedent in Mexico. Rebellious Forests gathers together images captured by Pavel Hroch during his travels in the land of the Purpecha in Michoacn, particularly the towns of Chern, Comachun, and Cocucho. These photographs show a world confronting global problems such as deforestation, water shortages, and the violence of organised crime while also rebelling against historical changes, driven by a constant desire to endure. The book reflects the Purpecha communitys successful struggle to achieve autonomy and control over their territory after a confrontation that pitted armed locals against illegal loggers and drug traffickers. This resistance led to the expulsion of these invaders and the establishment of Purpecha systems of security and self-government, based on their own cosmology and traditional practices.