On New Year’s Day in 1994, rebels attacked cities in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The rebels were a group of descendants of the Mayans, a native ethnic group in present-day Mexico. The rebels called themselves the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). The Zapatistas wore black ski masks and red bandanas.

The United States had just signed the North American Free Trade Agreement. This agreement was meant to improve trade between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. It would also flood Mexico with imported corn. The Zapatistas and other farmers said this would kill their farms and way of earning money.

About 2,000 armed Zapatistas attacked the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Most were young, indigenous Mayans from Chiapas. They declared war on Mexico’s army and the government. They also declared war on the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which had been in power for 65 years.

The Zapatistas’ declaration detailed 500 years of struggle against slavery, Spain, and North America.

Their declaration of war was a last resort. However, it was considered necessary to achieve things like health care, independence, and peace. They took the name Zapatista from the famous Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who said: “The land belongs to those who work it.”

These indigenous rebels never wanted to take power. They have always acted according to the principle of “mandar obedeciendo.” It means “leading by obeying.”

The Mexican government sent thousands of soldiers to Chiapas to put down this rebellion. Over 100 people were killed in the conflict. After the Zapatistas threatened to attack the capital, the government agreed to hold discussions with them.

The Zapatistas and the government agreed to stop fighting. However, the government began supporting groups call paramilitaries. These groups were not affiliated with the government. For years, the paramilitaries violently attacked thousands of indigenous people (Anderson). In 1997, forty-five people were massacred in a peaceful indigenous community called Acteal.

The Zapatistas wanted to get rights for indigenous communities. Before the massacre at Acteal, the government and the EZLN signed an agreement called the San Andrés Accords. The San Andrés Accords guaranteed political and social rights to indigenous communities. However, the government did not follow the accords. The Zapatistas felt betrayed.

After the San Andrés Accords failed, a new law was passed called the indigenous reform. This new law allowed Mexico to begin mining in indigenous communities. The law also said indigenous communities could not object to the mining. Mexico’s current president is Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He plans to create a train network in Zapatista territory. The Zapatistas said these plans would hurt their community.

Still, this doesn’t mean that the Zapatistas’ revolutionary efforts were for nothing.

Chiapas is the state where the Zapatistas operate. It is one of Mexico’s poorest states. But it has a strong supply of resources. The Zapatistas have built schools and provided health care in Chiapas. The area still needs more resources, but there have been major improvements.

The 1994 indigenous revolution was a dream for the Zapatistas. For Zapatista teenagers today, this dream is reality. Because of the Zapatistas, they have grown up in independent communities. They go to school, go to the doctor, and volunteer in the government. Women and men participate in the government according to the women’s revolutionary law (Marcos). The law allows women to join the revolution. Women also have more control over their personal life and have access to health care.

Fast forward to January 1, 2019. A group of teenagers is dressed in red with black ski masks. They are dancing to a song called “Latinoamérica” by the Puerto Rican rap group Calle 13. The lyrics in Spanish ring out: “You can’t buy the sun. You can’t buy the rain. You can’t buy my life. My land is not for sale.”

The dance is part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the 1994 uprising. Over 5,000 Zapatistas from all across Chiapas were at the Lacandon Jungle. This jungle is where the Zapatistas in 1994 were headquartered. Thousands of supporters from around the world come to celebrate, too.

A young Zapatista named Berenice spoke at the celebration. She described how the young Zapatistas’ ancestors were treated poorly by society. Berenice said they gave up their lives so new generations could have better lives.

There are about 250,000 Zapatistas. They make up around 5% of the Chiapas population. There are five Zapatista government centers in Chiapas. They are called caracoles, which is Spanish for “snail.” The caracoles are all over the Chiapas jungles, mountains, and rainforests. Each caracol has colorful murals. They celebrate women’s and indigenous rights, while criticizing corporations and the army. The “meetings of the good government” are held at the caracol in each region’s indigenous language.

Six years ago, the Zapatistas started the “Escuelita,” or Little School program. Outsiders young and old spent a week living with a Zapatista community. They took the first-grade course of “Freedom According to the Zapatistas.”

Zapatista Subcommander Moises explained the Zapatistas’ goals. They want a world where no single group can decide the lives of millions of people.

Moises said that the Zapatistas will not let the government take back all they have gained in the past 25 years. “They think we’re still ignorant and backwards, compañeros and compañeras. But we’re here ready and willing to defend ourselves,” Moises says. The supporters chanted back, “You are not alone.”

Note: This article originally appeared in Teen Vogue on January 30, 2019.