Rebellious Forests

Unique photographs from the Purépecha region of Michoacán, Mexico, present a world that rebels against the changes of history in a constant desire not to disappear.

Unique photographs from the Purépecha region of Michoacán, Mexico, present a world that rebels against the changes of history in a constant desire not to disappear.

Cherán 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 Purépecha in Michoacán, particularly the towns of Cherán, Comachuén, and Cocucho. These photographs show a world confronting global problems such as deforestation, water shortages, and the violence of organized crime while also rebelling against historical changes, driven by a constant desire to endure. The book reflects the Purépecha community’s 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 Purépecha systems of security and self-government, based on their own cosmology and traditional practices.