The Fiesta and the Cerro. Rocksi Broadcasting on Social Media From Xaamkëjxp
Abstract
This work presents the case of a young woman Rocksi, who works with social media and has a strong influence in her region. She lives in Xaamkëjxp, Oaxaca, in the southwest state of Mexico. Her work shows us both the religious customs and the politics of the communities through live transmissions on her Facebook and YouTube profiles. In 2024, she transmitted several celebrations in Xaamkëjxp related to religious celebrations as she was invited to help a family that had a comisionados de festejo cargo. Rocksi filmed various activities illustrating the importance of ethnic religious practices in the community and the strength and vitality of the religious and political cargos. In the text, I will delve deeper into the topic through ethnographic description.
References
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conquest: The ethnology of Middle America (pp. 142–173). Free Press.
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cargo system in Zinacantan. Stanford University Press.
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M. Nash (Eds.), Handbook of Middle American Indians, Vol. 6: Social anthropology
(pp. 283–298). University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/736665-015
Carrasco, P. (1961). The civil-religious hierarchy in Mesoamerican communities:
Pre-Spanish background and colonial development. American Anthropologist, 63(3),
483–497.
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Chance, J. K., & Taylor, W. B. (1985). Cofradías and Cargos: An historical
perspective on the Mesoamerican civil-religious hierarchy. American Ethnologist,
12(1), 1–26.
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expresión y organización para los jóvenes [Digital social networks: Meeting place,
expression and organization for young people]. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México.
de la Guardia, C. (2018). EZLN y la guerra en Internet. Entrevista a Justin
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Ginsburg, F. (2008). Rethinking the digital age. In P. Wilson & M. Stewart
(Eds.), Global Indigenous media: Cultures, poetics, and politics (pp. 287–305). Duke
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Jones, G. (1981). Symbolic dramas of ethnic stratification: The Yucatecan fiesta
system on a colonial frontier. Papers in Anthropology, 22(1), 131–155.
Kummels, I. (2018). Espacios mediáticos transfronterizos. El video ayuujk
entre México y Estados Unidos [Transborder media spaces. Ayuujk videomaking
between Mexico and the US]. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en
Antropología Social.
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presencia”: Indigenizando el ciberespacio [“So that indigenous languages can also
have a presence”: Indigenizing cyberspace]. Canadian Journal of Latin American and
Caribbean Studies / Revue canadienne des études latino-américaines et caraïbes,
45(1), 122–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/08263663.2019.1662670
Nava Morales, E., & Calderón, F. (2014). La otra antropología: Reflexiones sobre
el oficio antropológico [The other anthropology: Reflections on the anthropological
profession]. Abya Yala.
Orobitg, G. (2020). Medios indígenas. Teorías y experiencias de la comunicación
indígena en América Latina [Indigenous media. Theories and experiences of
Indigenous communication in Latin America]. Iberoamericana/Vervuert.
Parffa, P. (2001, June). SameNet: Sámpi online. The Saami intranet and meeting
point [Paper presentation]. The International Workshop on Indigenous and Diasporic
Internet Use, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Pietikäinen, S. (2008). “To breathe two airs”: Empowering Indigenous Sámi
media. In P. Wilson & M. Stewart (Eds.), Global Indigenous media: Cultures, poetics,
and politics (pp. 197–213). Duke University Press.
Prins, H. (2001). Digital revolution: Indigenous peoples in Cyberia.
In W. A. Haviland (Ed.), Cultural anthropology (pp. 306–308). Harcourt Brace College.
Reyes, M. (2024, August 13). La cosmivision religioso de los Ayuujk kaay …
Es vigente las creencias muy remotas y muy Antigua la espiritualidad de creer [The
religious cosmovision of the Ayuujk Jaay is very remote and very ancient, the spirituality
of believing] [Comment on the post “Día de ir al cerro con los comisionados de
festejo, Familia Vásquez Gutiérrez les dejo este video espero les guste”]. Facebook21.
https://www.facebook.com/rocksiOficial/videos/376537941912665
Rocksi. (2024, August 13). Día de ir al cerro con los comisionados de festejo,
Familia Vásquez Gutiérrez les dejo este video espero les guste… [Day to go to the
cerro with the comisionados de festejo, Vasquez Gutierrez Family. I leave you this
video I hope you like it] [Video attached]. Facebook21. https://www.facebook.com/
rocksiOficial/videos/376537941912665
Smith, W. (1977). The fiesta system and economic change. Columbia University
Press.
Tax, S. (1937). The municipios of the Midwestern highlands of Guatemala. American
Anthropologist, 39(3), 423–444. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1937.39.3.02a00060
Video Producciones Peck [Peck’s Video Productions]. (n.d.). Home [Facebook
page]. Facebook21. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057187371534
Wagley, C. (1949). The social and religious life of a Guatemalan village. American
Anthropological Association.
Warschauer, M. (2000). Language, identity, and the Internet. In B. Kolko,
L. Nakamura, & G. Rodman (Eds.), Race in cyberspace (pp. 151–170). Routledge.
Wilson, P., & Stewart, M. (Eds.) (2008). Global Indigenous media: Cultures,
poetics, and politics. Duke University Press.
Winocur, R., & Sánchez, J. A. (Eds.). (2015). Redes sociodigitales en México
[Sociodigital networks in Mexico]. Fondo de Cultura Económica / Consejo Nacional
para la Cultura y las Artes.
Wolf, E. (1959). Sons of the shaking earth. The University of Chicago Press.
Indigenista Interamericano.
Bunzel, R. (1952). Chichicastenango: A Guatemalan village. University of
Washington Press.
Cámara, F. (1952). Religious and political organization. In S. Tax (Ed.), Heritage of
conquest: The ethnology of Middle America (pp. 142–173). Free Press.
Cancian, F. (1965). Economics and prestige in a Maya community: The religious
cargo system in Zinacantan. Stanford University Press.
Cancian, F. (1967). Political and religious organizations. In R. Wauchope &
M. Nash (Eds.), Handbook of Middle American Indians, Vol. 6: Social anthropology
(pp. 283–298). University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/736665-015
Carrasco, P. (1961). The civil-religious hierarchy in Mesoamerican communities:
Pre-Spanish background and colonial development. American Anthropologist, 63(3),
483–497.
Castillo Cisneros, M. del C. (2021). Ser Majääw. Ritualidad Ayuujk en Tlahuitoltepec,
Oaxaca [Being Majääw. Ayuujk in Tlahuitoltepec rituality, Oaxaca]. Enredars.
Chance, J. K., & Taylor, W. B. (1985). Cofradías and Cargos: An historical
perspective on the Mesoamerican civil-religious hierarchy. American Ethnologist,
12(1), 1–26.
Crovi Druetta, D. (Ed.). (2016). Redes sociales digitales: Lugar de encuentro,
expresión y organización para los jóvenes [Digital social networks: Meeting place,
expression and organization for young people]. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México.
de la Guardia, C. (2018). EZLN y la guerra en Internet. Entrevista a Justin
Paulson (creador del sitio Web del EZLN) [EZLN and the war in Internet. Interview
with Justin Paulson (creator of EZLN website)]. Razón y palabra, 22(1–100), 281–287.
https://revistarazonypalabra.org/index.php/ryp/article/view/1156
Dewalt, B. R. (1975). Changes in the cargo systems of Mesoamerica.
Anthropological Quarterly, 48(2), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.2307/3316613
Díaz, F. (2007). Comunidad y comunalidad [Community and comunalidad]. In
S. Robles & R. Cardoso (Eds.), Floriberto Díaz. Escrito. Comunalidad, energía viva
del pensamiento mixe [Floriberto Díaz. Writings. Community, living energy of Mixe
thought] (pp. 34–50). Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Diener, P. (1978). The Tears of St. Anthony: Ritual and revolution in
Eastern Guatemala. Latin American Perspectives, 5(3), 92–116. https://doi.org/
10.1177/0094582X7800500306
Dow, J. (1977). Religion in the organization of a Mexican peasant economy. In
R. Halperin & J. Dow (Eds.), Peasant livelihood: Studies in economic anthropology and
cultural ecology (pp. 215–226). St. Martin’s Press.
Ginsburg, F. (2008). Rethinking the digital age. In P. Wilson & M. Stewart
(Eds.), Global Indigenous media: Cultures, poetics, and politics (pp. 287–305). Duke
University Press.
Greenberg, J. (1981). Santiago’s sword: Chatino peasant religion and economics.
University of California Press.
Harris, M. (1964). Patterns of race in the Americas. Walker and Company.
Jones, D. (1970). Toward a native anthropology. In J. B. Cole (Ed.), Anthropology
for the nineties: Introductory readings (pp. 30–41). Free Press.
Jones, G. (1981). Symbolic dramas of ethnic stratification: The Yucatecan fiesta
system on a colonial frontier. Papers in Anthropology, 22(1), 131–155.
Kummels, I. (2018). Espacios mediáticos transfronterizos. El video ayuujk
entre México y Estados Unidos [Transborder media spaces. Ayuujk videomaking
between Mexico and the US]. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en
Antropología Social.
Landzelius, K. (2006). Introduction: Native on the net. In K. Landzelius (Ed.),
Native on the net. Indigenous and diasporic peoples in the virtual age (pp. 1–42).
Routledge.
Lee, H. (2006). Debating language and identity online: Tongans on the net. In
K. Landzelius (Ed.), Native on the net. Indigenous and diasporic peoples in the virtual
age (pp. 152–168). Routledge.
Narayan, K. (1993). How native is a “native” anthropologist? American
Anthropologist, 95(3), 671–682. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1993.95.3.02a00070
Nash, M. (1958). Political relations in Guatemala. Social and Economic Studies,
7(1), 65–75.
Nava Morales, E. (2019). “Para que las lenguas indígenas también puedan tener
presencia”: Indigenizando el ciberespacio [“So that indigenous languages can also
have a presence”: Indigenizing cyberspace]. Canadian Journal of Latin American and
Caribbean Studies / Revue canadienne des études latino-américaines et caraïbes,
45(1), 122–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/08263663.2019.1662670
Nava Morales, E., & Calderón, F. (2014). La otra antropología: Reflexiones sobre
el oficio antropológico [The other anthropology: Reflections on the anthropological
profession]. Abya Yala.
Orobitg, G. (2020). Medios indígenas. Teorías y experiencias de la comunicación
indígena en América Latina [Indigenous media. Theories and experiences of
Indigenous communication in Latin America]. Iberoamericana/Vervuert.
Parffa, P. (2001, June). SameNet: Sámpi online. The Saami intranet and meeting
point [Paper presentation]. The International Workshop on Indigenous and Diasporic
Internet Use, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Pietikäinen, S. (2008). “To breathe two airs”: Empowering Indigenous Sámi
media. In P. Wilson & M. Stewart (Eds.), Global Indigenous media: Cultures, poetics,
and politics (pp. 197–213). Duke University Press.
Prins, H. (2001). Digital revolution: Indigenous peoples in Cyberia.
In W. A. Haviland (Ed.), Cultural anthropology (pp. 306–308). Harcourt Brace College.
Reyes, M. (2024, August 13). La cosmivision religioso de los Ayuujk kaay …
Es vigente las creencias muy remotas y muy Antigua la espiritualidad de creer [The
religious cosmovision of the Ayuujk Jaay is very remote and very ancient, the spirituality
of believing] [Comment on the post “Día de ir al cerro con los comisionados de
festejo, Familia Vásquez Gutiérrez les dejo este video espero les guste”]. Facebook21.
https://www.facebook.com/rocksiOficial/videos/376537941912665
Rocksi. (2024, August 13). Día de ir al cerro con los comisionados de festejo,
Familia Vásquez Gutiérrez les dejo este video espero les guste… [Day to go to the
cerro with the comisionados de festejo, Vasquez Gutierrez Family. I leave you this
video I hope you like it] [Video attached]. Facebook21. https://www.facebook.com/
rocksiOficial/videos/376537941912665
Smith, W. (1977). The fiesta system and economic change. Columbia University
Press.
Tax, S. (1937). The municipios of the Midwestern highlands of Guatemala. American
Anthropologist, 39(3), 423–444. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1937.39.3.02a00060
Video Producciones Peck [Peck’s Video Productions]. (n.d.). Home [Facebook
page]. Facebook21. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057187371534
Wagley, C. (1949). The social and religious life of a Guatemalan village. American
Anthropological Association.
Warschauer, M. (2000). Language, identity, and the Internet. In B. Kolko,
L. Nakamura, & G. Rodman (Eds.), Race in cyberspace (pp. 151–170). Routledge.
Wilson, P., & Stewart, M. (Eds.) (2008). Global Indigenous media: Cultures,
poetics, and politics. Duke University Press.
Winocur, R., & Sánchez, J. A. (Eds.). (2015). Redes sociodigitales en México
[Sociodigital networks in Mexico]. Fondo de Cultura Económica / Consejo Nacional
para la Cultura y las Artes.
Wolf, E. (1959). Sons of the shaking earth. The University of Chicago Press.
Published
2025-04-30
How to Cite
Morales, E.
(2025).
The Fiesta and the Cerro. Rocksi Broadcasting on Social Media From Xaamkëjxp.
Changing Societies & Personalities, 9(1), 51–66.
doi:10.15826/csp.2025.9.1.317
Section
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