The Indigenous Experiment. What Works Best?

I just returned from a week in Guatemala visiting projects with a family of World Accord volunteers and their friend.  Nelson Rosales and I, with the help of Mujeres en Accion's staff and driver, took our group to a number of villages to learn about the projects. We also took in some geological and cultural sites to learn about the country and the people.

The adults in our group would discuss various elements of our learnings as the days progressed.  One day the comparison was made between the indigenous of Canada and the indigenous of Guatemala. Who was actually better off today?  That evening I ended up in a discussion with Nelson on the same topic. We later learned that two other members of the group were having the same discussion in their room. 

I think most Canadians would agree that how our governments in the past have treated the indigenous peoples of Canada hasn't really worked all that well.  It has been a massive social experiment - one that is still ongoing and inconclusive.  A similar experiment is ongoing in the US with their indigenous peoples as well as Australia and many other countries around the world.  Our current experience was with the Maya - indigenous to Guatemala. 

It is true that when the Spaniards came to Central America many indigenous people died.  And when the land was divided, sold, granted, stolen, etc very little land ended up in the hands of the primarily agrarian Maya.  During the civil war in the 1980's more than 200,000 of the Maya were killed in the attempted genocide by the government and army.  Today the Maya of Guatemala are mostly landless though some few own small plots for farming. They are a source of cheap labour for the land holders and many rent land or do crafts.  Mostly they are still very poor.

And yet we found that they are mostly pretty happy people that are all too willing to share with us what precious little they have.  They are quick to smile and share a laugh. There is a sense of community. There is once again a sense of pride and people are not scared to look you in the eye though this was not always the case. 

The debate goes on.  In some countries the indigenous were simply extinguished like in El Salvador.  In others they ceased to remain separate and distinct as they blended with their Spanish conquerors. Their previous culture and language lost forever.

The human race has much to answer for.  How we treat our mother earth and how we treat each other and the experiment is ongoing.  How are we doing? Can we change course?  What will a successful outcome look like?  So many questions and the answers are scarce.  What can we do to help make the planet and the human race become the possible? 

 

Sabina, in the mountains near Chichoy, found the market flooded with weavings - the most traditional of Mayan handicrafts - and unable to earn a living with the labour intensive trade.  She borrowed money from Mujeres en Accion to rent land and began to plant and harvest Camomile for tea.  She is very happy with the increased level of income from the change.