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3.1

Chiapas: The View from Within

The state of Chiapas has one of the largest populations of indigenous peoples in Mexico. Yet the social and political situation of indigenous peoples there has historically been marginalized by Western ideology and the Mexican Mestizo state, which has attempted to suppress and dominate indigenous cultural and cosmological institutions.

With Intent to Civilize

I grew up with the herring in the river, traveled down our ancient ways, picked the wild berries, and fished the bays and enjoyed the rabbits and deer in the woods. That has all changed. Malls have taken over, signs are posted "private property" and golf courses and stores have been built. A poem by my grandmother, Our Traditions Not to Forget, expresses my feelings: "Where the river flows through the forest and sings home early, as it empties to the sea, in my heart there comes a longing where I stand in deep reverie.

The Darais of Nepal

On January 11, the Darai Samaj Tanahun (the Darai Society of the Tanahun District) held its first conference to discuss the Darai state of affairs. Approximately 400 people gathered and a new work committee (Naya Karya Sameeti) was selected to organize a national conference. Issues covered in the conference agenda included the need to increase the literacy rate, to improve the health sector, to eliminate various social ills (such as alcoholism and teenage marriage), and to preserve the Darai traditional culture and language.

New England Tribes Speak Out

On February 7, an eclectic mix of students, professors, and community members came together at Tufts University for a forum on "Contemporary Native American Issues in New England." The panel presentation, hosted by Cultural Survival, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and the Unitarian Universalist Association, featured five New England Native Americans speaking about their tribes' histories, cultures, and contemporary conditions.

Ramona Peters, a Mashpee Wampanoag member who leads culturally and educationally enriching programs for the Wampanoag Nation, began the discussion b

Intern

A Cultural Survival internship was something I had been interested in for some time before my arrival in Cambridge. Majoring in anthropology, I became more aware of the struggle for indigenous rights and referred to Cultural Survival's publications for research papers. Knowing there was an organization that has been active in this effort for so many years piqued my interest and I wanted to take part.

I have since been thoroughly rewarded. From day one, the staff at Cultural Survival have allowed me to take an active role.

Political Leadership for the Women of Guatemala

Even though women's organizations have contributed to Guatemala's democratization by creating wider political spaces for expression, women's status remains inferior to that of men in Guatemala. Women make up one of the most marginalized sectors of Guatemalan society, suffering from high levels of poverty and violence, trauma from the 36 years of armed conflict and military presence, appallingly low levels of education, difficult access to health care, lack of political representation, and ignorance of their rights.

Maya Migration North: Transnational Indigenous Identities

Over 1 million people were displaced during Guatemala's 36-year civil war, resulting in mass migration to the United States and Canada. Continued economic and political instability in Guatemala as well as the formation of migrant communities in the United States has sustained a steady northern flow of migrants. In fact, one out of every 10 Guatemalan citizens currently lives in the United States.

Digging for the Truth in Guatemala

Guatemala's 36-year civil war ended formally in 1996 but the victims are still being found in mass graves all over the country. It is estimated that over 200,000 people were killed and several thousand disappeared-the majority of victims indigenous Maya. Since 1992, the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) has been doing essential work to bring peace and reconciliation to Guatemala. The group has exhumed over 400 clandestine graves since its founding and, in 2003 alone, has performed 78 exhumations.

Chiapas Eyes

A Mexican American photographer has opened a new forum of self-expression for indigenous peoples of the Chiapas highlands in San Cristóbal de las Casas. In 1992, Carlota Duarte founded the Chiapas Photography Project with hopes to empower Maya communities. The project has brought together more than 200 people from 10 Maya ethnic groups.

Editorial: "Los Mayas fueron…"

For many Guatemalans, to speak of the Maya is synonymous with speaking about extraterrestrials, or people that existed in the distant past.

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