An Array of Utopian Flowers
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The Underworld, Rebirth and Renewal with Ceres and Proserpina
Posted on June 29, 2018 | No Comments -
Cinematic Cultural Change in West Africa with Idrissa Ouédraogo
Posted on June 3, 2018 | No Comments -
Mild Satire, Outrage and Hostility, with Philip Roth
Posted on June 2, 2018 | No Comments -
Big Noise from Big Band Drummer Gene Krupa
Posted on April 10, 2018 | No Comments -
Loose Nuts: Edison Reveals Huge Gap in Safety at San Onofre
Posted on April 9, 2018 | No Comments
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Upcoming Events
Guatemala Archive
Volcanoes Loom Over Vibrant Colors of Antigua Guatemala
Posted on February 28, 2017 | 1 CommentSurrounded by volcanoes, coffee plantations, and picturesque villages, the once-ruined former colonial capital, Antigua Guatemala, remains the most charming city in the Republic, a vibrant and somewhat overly commodified mix of Ladino-Spanish, Kaqchikel-Maya, and multinational Gringo cultures coming together.
Traditional Healing Among the Highland Maya
Posted on August 2, 2016 | 1 CommentTraditional Mayan healers, bone-setters, herbal curanderos, and spiritual guides or shamans, provide good physical and mental health options for poor indigenous Guatemalans.
Maya Ruins at Tikal: A New Beginning at Winter Solstice
Posted on December 21, 2012 | 5 CommentsTwenty five hundred years ago, a group of peoples settled Tikal, surrounded by the lowland rainforests of the Petén Basin of northern Guatemala. Their descendants would create a remarkable civilization that populated cities and villages across much of southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Today, it has returned to the jungle.
Maximón: The Underground Great Grandfather of Western Guatemala
Posted on November 23, 2012 | 10 CommentsMaximón is a folk saint of the Maya of Guatemala, associated with pre-Columbian earth lords who provide money or economic opportunity to client-petitioners. He is an opener of the way, a bringer of rain and symbolizes male sexual power.
Howler Monkeys Among the Maya: Divine Patrons to the Artisans
Posted on November 15, 2012 | 1 CommentJohn Lloyd Stephens, who documented important Maya sites in Central America in 1839, described howler monkeys found at the ruins of Copán as "grave and solemn, almost emotionally wounded, as if officiating as the guardians of consecrated ground." Today, in sites such as Tikal, they remain standing guard over the ruins, sharing space with hundreds of tourists.
All Souls Day Procession Honors the Ancestors in Antigua, Guatemala
Posted on November 5, 2012 | 2 CommentsIn Guatemala, a procession through the cobblestone streets of the former capital, Antigua, marks the end of the Day of the Dead, All Saints and All Souls.
Stories of a Maya Rebirth: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth
Posted on September 8, 2012 | No CommentsThe documentary "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" presents an alternative worldview to industrial capitalism consuming the earth, following six young Maya into their daily and ceremonial life, revealing their determination to resist the destruction of their culture and environment.
Popol Vuh: The Ancient Maya Dawn of Life and Overcoming the Forces of Awe
Posted on July 23, 2012 | 9 CommentsThe Popol Vuh (Maya K'iche' for "Council Book" or "Book of the Community") features a creation myth, the Dawn of Life under the spectre of a flooded world, followed by the epic mythological stories of two Hero Twins: Hunahpu (Blow-gun Hunter) and Xbalanque (Young Hidden/Jaguar-Sun) as they confront the Lords of Death and Disease in the underworld caves of the "Place of Awe."
Central America: Indigenous Targeted in US-Sponsored Counterinsurgency
Posted on May 31, 2012 | 2 CommentsA US-taxpayer-funded war on drugs in Central America is expanding with "Counter Terror Squads," targeting indigenous people, citizen activists, and even independent journalists. It must be stopped.
Guatemala: “Genocidal” General Elected to Fight Drug War
Posted on November 8, 2011 | 4 CommentsGuatemala's new President Pérez Molina is accused of being an intellectual and material author of torture, disappearances, executions, massacres and indeed genocide. How will the international community respond?
Guatemala: Biofuels Production Leads to Violent Evictions
Posted on March 22, 2011 | 5 CommentsThousands of Mayan Q'eqchi villagers were violently evicted from 14 communities, to make way for 'for export' agribusiness initiatives, particularly production of sugar cane and African palm trees aimed at biofuel promotion.
Maya K’iche’ Reject Resource Exploitation in Guatemala
Posted on November 2, 2010 | 2 CommentsOn a historic day, residents from the municipality of Santa Cruz del Quiché - one of Guatemala’s most important hubs and the birthplace of the Maya K’iche’ people – unanimously rejected the exploitation of natural goods and resources, in particular through mining and hydroelectric activities.
