Leroy's Art Blog

Thinking about the Interaction of Cultures:

The problem of how traditional and minority cultures respond to societal and economic pressures is fascinating. In Tanzania, the desire to maintain traditional “African” culture seemed to me to be misguided nostalgia, as their traditional culture was already lost, except for groups like the rural Massai. The Pennsylvania Dutch seem to be holding their own, as the Hassidim certainly are in New York City. Of course, our own U.S. indigenous problem was largely settled by genocide and assimilation, although the remnants of that now seem to be recreating an imagined culture. Tibetan and Uighur cultures are now under strong pressure from China

Here in Guatemala, the Maya adapted their culture to assimilate Catholicism, and so maintained themselves for some 500 years. Quite an accomplishment. But now, modern pressures confronting the Maya traditions are complex and strong.

The Maya constitute about 55% of the population, but historically have not had significant political force. They are divided in some 22 groups each with their own language. Even now there is little effort to join forces, although there is now an indigenous candidate for the presidential election this October, Rigoberto Menchu. Partly, political exclusion has been encouraged by the ladinos - pretty much any Guatemalan who is not part of the Maya culture - who have used the Maya as a source of cheap labor and alternatively tried to isolate them or assimilate them. Probably the most drastic attack on the Maya since the initial brutality of the Spanish has been the long civil war here, most ferocious in the 80's under the U.S. supported Gen. Rios Montt. He was an evangelical Christian, by the way. And he is now fighting to stay in the legislature, where he can avoid extradition to Spain for crimes against humanity.

Currently evangelistic and Pentecostal Christianity is strong and growing, and neither tolerates Mayan customs since they of course possess the only one and true way to salvation. At the same time and partly in response to the success of the evangelicals, the Charasmatic movement is growing in the Catholic Church, and it too has replaced the traditional Catholic tolerance with dogmatic intolerance. Counter to these forces, the Peace Accords that ended the civil war in 1996 recognized Guatemala for the first time as multicultural, guaranteeing freedom of language, traditional customs and systems of justice. A nacent movement to foster and support Maya culture now exists. The Instituto Paraiso Maya here teaches courses in Maya history and intercultural relations, and there are posters on the wall promoting Maya Pride.

Meanwhile radio, television, the internet, and above all the increasing access to cities is changing the isolation of the Maya world. The Pan American Highway through the heart of Quiche Maya is being expanded to four lanes. This is a four-year project that brings workers here from all parts of Guatemala. At the same time, the economic plight of the Maya is increasingly dire, because their subsistance economy and traditions are based on agriculture (specifically corn). But while the population is increasing rapidly - the average family includes more than 5 children - the available land is not. And the ever increasing need for more and more firewood leads to serious deforestation, bringing its own additional problems of soil erosion and landslides.

The devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and Stan in 2005 were disasters far beyond the aid resources of Guatemala, and the major international NGOs responded in full force. CARE, Oxfam, Mercy Corps, Catholic Relief Services, USAID and many others provided lifesaving support and most are still here, now engaged in development and disaster prevention projects. Me too, now. The gifts of housing, water and sanitation systems, seeds, animals, roads, schools, planning, risk evaluation and the creation of entire new communities have been essential in avoiding total catastrophe, and have been largely successful.

But now.... the people here are dependent on outside help, gifts, for their infrastructure and, increasingly, their sustenance. This does not do good things for the spirit of the communities. How to get from this to self sufficiency and more? And what happens to Maya culture and traditions in the process?