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2003 Trip Report Marilyn Anderson Working in
Solidarity with Maya Education Groups; Draft Report On My Visit to Guatemala, February, 2003 One of the noteworthy aspects of post-Peace Accord Guatemala has been the growth of Maya and other multicultural cultural and educational efforts. This includes the establishment of cultural centers and community museums, organizations which promote Maya languages and a growing movement of Maya bilingual schools. For many reasons, returning to Guatemala is always important to me, but my 2003 trip there has special meaning. I spoke with courageous and creative individuals who have undertaken projects from establishing new schools, cultural centers, and libraries to doing research, writing and publishing. The trip allowed me to understand in a new way the role of the Pro Arte Maya project and our book Artes y Artesanías Mayas de Guatemala (Maya Arts and Crafts in Guatemala) within the picture of the larger Maya cultural, bilingual and multicultural movement. Our coloring book promotes the appreciation and practice by Mayan and other Guatemalan children of their rich and varied arts and crafts tradition and the continuation of these traditions as living arts. With its Maya/Spanish text, it honors and underscores the importance of indigenous languages and is thus part of the mosaic that makes up the Maya cultural efforts. Already about five years have passed since I first developed the idea of an educational coloring book about the Maya arts and crafts of Guatemala with Juan Zapil and Virginia Ajxup of the bilingual educational group Consejo Maya Jun Ajpu Ix' balamke. While I produced the drawings and text they took charge of organizing translations into Mayan languages. In 2001, support from the Agostino, Puffin and Yax Te' Foundations enabled us to print and distribute this coloring book, Artes y Artesanías Mayas de Guatemala (Maya Arts and Crafts in Guatemala) (Please see my 2001 Trip Report for more information). In February, I attended 15 meetings in meetings in Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, Panajachel, Sololá, San Lucas Tolimán, San Pedro La Laguna, Chimaltenango and Antigua. With Consejo Maya colleague Juan Zapil, I visited the Consejo Maya school in Palín. I visited schools where our book has been used, met with school directors who have recently adopted it and spoke to those who might be interested in using the book in the future. I also spoke to a professor in a multicultural education program in a university, and to individuals in non-governmental and governmental educational programs. Most of those to whom I spoke were aware that our book is the only one available for Guatemala children about their arts and crafts traditions, and that it fills an educational need. Most considered it a useful addition to their programs. In one instance, the book was used as a primary text in classes about Maya culture. About 800 copies were requested for immediate use. Soon we will be printing 1100 additional copies of Artes y Artesanías Mayas de Guatemala with the help of a second Puffin grant. There was general agreement that a more complete teacher's guide would be useful, as well as an orientation program for teachers about its use. When I asked if a second coloring book about Maya women's weaving traditions (which is in progress) would be useful, I received positive replies. Positive response was also received to the idea of educational posters of arts and crafts. At a meeting with representatives of Rights Action (our 501-C3 sponsor) I learned of their new educational initiative to facilitate meetings of bilingual educators. These meetings have already provided a forum for Juan Zapil to give information about the Pro Arte Maya project to the Maya educators attending. Already through these meetings, more copies of the coloring book have been requested and will be incorporated into the programs of more schools. Meetings with Juan Zapil enabled us to more effectively lay out our respective tasks and responsibilities to continue the project. Since the initial printing of Artes y Artesanías Mayas of Guatemala, he has taken on the responsibility of responding to inquiries and storing and distributing books. As part of our future goals for Pro Arte Maya, we are exploring the possibility of working with a team to amplify the teacher's guide in response to requests received from teachers. We are also seeking funding to support teachers' workshops. When I spoke about the Pro Arte Maya project to teachers, administrators, government officials and others during my trip, I tried to define my role within it. I explained that my goal is to work in solidarity with Maya groups, using my art and photography to express the significance and importance their culture. During a meeting at the German sponsored bilingual project PEMBI/GTZ, in Quetzaltenango, a Mayan linguist commented "How sad it would be if Guatemala became like El Salvador". The words underscore my own feelings. My belief in the cultural, historical and economic importance of traditional Maya arts pushes me to continue my efforts to promote the educational efforts of Pro Arte Maya. The present climate of globalization presents a challenge as never before to help children to analyze, understand and further appreciate the place of indigenous languages and arts in their lives. Pro Arte Maya, through coloring book Artes y Artesanías Mayas de Guatemala (Maya Arts and Crafts in Guatemala) and all the teachers who use it in their classes attempt to help children do that. View Marilyn's Artisan Photos About Marilyn ~ Pro Arte Maya ~ Art & Books ~ What's New ~ Links ~ Order Marilyn
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