The Sunday market wakes up bustling in front of its cathedral el centro de Ciudad Chilapa. The villagers come to display their products on the grounds of the plaza. They share the space with natives that come from the mountainous areas near by and mestizos from other towns.     In improvised stands, they exhibit their varied merchandise, where you can find from precious stones to semi-precious stones to limestone, which is used as an ingredient in making tortillas.     Youčll also find fruits, vegetables and seeds. Diffrent types of corn, beans, tomatos, avocados, onions, limes and lemons. Present, also, are the medicinal plants and preparations widely used, and the local candy and bread.     The traditional announcing becomes present, in spanish and in their native languages. The salesmen and women are ready to offer hens, turkeys, doves, pigs and exotic birds. Others offer their colorful fabrics and traditional dresses, like "hupiles", "enaguas" (underskirt) and "rebozos" (shawls), beautifully embroidered.     In the middle of the rumble you can find handcrafts brought in from the towns around Chilapa and places not so close by. You can see the people crafting items as their creative hands transform the palm leaves into hats, bed rolls and bags. With great patience and mastering their craft, they make baskets (chichihuites), colorfull flowers of varied forms, coasters, tablemats, jewelery boxes, big bags for the beach or picnics. From the town of Olinala, they bring the famous trays, small boxes and coffers painted and lacquered. Youčll also find the guerrerense machete, which is delicatelly decorated on the blade.     In this tianguis youŽll also find retailers from the states of Michoacán, Puebla, Morelos and Mexico City, among others. The retailers show and praise their merchandise mostly made of natural materials, shoes and dresses at very low prices, that the natives will be able to buy and take to their casas.     Chilapa market, is one of the few traditional markets that are almost intact to the eyes of the mexicans and foreign tourists. The dignified figure of the natives in its worthier appreciation, represents admiration and the cultural respect of an identity and roots that in this state coexist.     It is not possible to turn our back to a reality: the poverty and marginalization that our indigenous communities undergo is in front of us, but in the extent that we understand and support the ethnic groups and their customs, we will be a step ahead in the resolution of their right to be treated equally.... we are all Mexican. (1998)

CASA