ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the outset that the impact of the Papaloapan project would be mediated by the pre-existing spheres and that impacts would be differentially distributed among and within spheres of socioeconomic interaction. It discusses the results of studies regarding the long-range human ecological and health impact upon the resettled Mazatec. The chapter describes the cultural setting in which the resettlement took place, sketch the chronology of resettlement actions and Mazatec responses, and then turn to the comparative analysis of the consequences as reflected in data from these several samples. It deals with a discussion of the implications of this analysis for the theory of community response to forced resettlement developed by Scudder. The resettlement of indigenous people in the area of the proposed dam was a key element of the Papaloapan Commission's plans. The resettlement has induced socioeconomic stratification in resettlement communities, even though efforts were made to provide each family with similar resources from the outset.
