(Created page with "{{Concepts |concepts:ethimology=Etymologically, tequio comes from the Nahuatl tequitl—“work,” “task,” or “tribute”—a term used in colonial New Spain for the pe...") |
|||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
|concepts:country=MX | |concepts:country=MX | ||
|concepts:region=Latin America | |concepts:region=Latin America | ||
| + | |concepts:banner=Concept-GenericBanner-02.jpg | ||
}} | }} | ||
Latest revision as of 01:58, 15 December 2025
Etymologically, tequio comes from the Nahuatl tequitl—“work,” “task,” or “tribute”—a term used in colonial New Spain for the personal labour tax owed by Indigenous communities, which re-signifies today as a communal contribution oriented to the common good.
Tequio is an Indigenous system of collective work in Mexico—especially in Oaxaca—through which members of a community contribute unpaid labour to build, maintain, or repair infrastructure and services that benefit everyone (paths, water systems, schools, plazas, community radios, fiestas, etc.). It is usually obligatory for adult community members, is organized through assemblies and authorities, and is considered both an honour and a civic/communal duty rather than “volunteer work” or a wage relation.