Chicle

Photo Source:  Tree Hugger

Chicle was the original source for chewing gum.  It was first brought to the United States in 1867 by General Santa Ana of Mexico.  While awaiting entry into the United States, Santa Ana gave chicle to Thomas Adams.  Adams took the chicle home and experimented with it until he came up with a flavorful chewing product.  Thereafter, US companies monopolized chicle production by financing the tapping operations in Central America. By 1930, US companies were importing 15 million pounds of chicle per year (Amanda Neill).

Chicleros were employed by the US companies to go into the forest and obtain the chicle.  Chicleros cut zigzags into Sapodilla and Manlikara trees, then collected the sap into bags. The sap was then boiled until it thickened, molded into blocks, and shipped to the United States.  In an effort to reduce the abuse that Chicleros suffered under the feudal work system, the Guatemalan government passed a law in 1952 that ended the feudal system.  The law allowed the Guatemalan government to expropriate the unused lands from the US companies and sell them to the indigenous people.  After passage of this law, the Wrigley Gum Company refused to buy Guatemalan produced chicle (Manlikara Chicle).  Instead, the company turned to chicle substitutes and insoluble plastics.  And the chicle industry in Guatemala all but disappeared (Latin American Review of Books). 

Cardamom

Photo Source:  Spice of Life

Guatemala is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of cardamom.  The miniscule seeds of the plant are highly aromatic and valued as a spice in the Middle East, Russia, and Scandinavia.  Most of Guatemala’s crop is exported to the Arabian Gulf countries, where the use of the spice is considered to be a hallmark of hospitality.  In the Middle East, cardamom pods are either ground into a powder and used as an additive for coffee, or they are ground up with the coffee beans and brewed together (Guatemala Times).  Guatemala is one of the world’s major producers of coffee, and yet Guatemalans do not mix cardamom with their coffee.  Cardamom is strictly an export crop. 

70% of Guatemala’s cardamom crop is grown by small producers on less than 10 acres of land (Saudi Aramco). The plant thrives in the in the moist Guatemalan climate, but is not native to the Americas.  German plantation owner, Oscar Majus brought the first plants from India to Guatemala in 1914 (Guatemala Times). 

Guatemalan women and children sort through the harvested seed pods in large warehouses for less than $4 per day.  It takes one cardamom plant 3 years of growth before it begins to produce seed pods. Thereafter, the plant produces for another 4 to 6 years before it begins to decline.  The harvested seeds are so tiny that it takes 4 pods to equal one quarter teaspoon of seeds. That is why the spice commands such high prices in the global marketplace.  In 2007, the revenues from cardamom exceeded 137 million US dollars (Saudi Aramco). 

Dance of the Palo Volador

Photo Source:  Guatemala Tourism

Festivals in Guatemala often combine elements of Maya beliefs with Christianity.  This blending of cultures can be observed in the Dance of the Palo Volador.  The pre-Columbian ritual-dance is performed in Chichicastenango during the celebration for the town’s patron saint, Santo Tomas. 

Festivities are centered around the 471 year old Catholic Church of Santo Tomas. When the Spanish colonizers built the church in 1540, they placed it directly on top of the existing Mayan temple.  The steps from the old temple remain visible and continue to be venerated by the local Maya (Church of Santo Tomas). 

After several days of feasting, dancing, and parading; a tall pole is erected in front of the Church of Santo Tomas (or the Mayan temple).  At the top of the pole is a rotating frame from which dangle the ropes that the dancers tie themselves to.  Before the dancers climb up the pole, an offering is made for their safety.  When they are ready, the dancers climb up, then leap off the platform, spinning around the pole as they descend.  The ropes unravel quickly from the rotating frame and it is a gamble if the dancers will reach the ground safely before their ropes completely unravel (Lonely Planet). 

In the pre-conquest period, the dance was said to be associated with the bird deity, Itzamna, and the recreation or regeneration of the world.  A flute player stood on the top of the pole and played flute music that imitated the sound of birds singing.  The “flying bird men’ represented the four directions.  And spinning around the pole represented the regeneration of the world (Flying Men Dance).

After the arrival of Christianity, the interpretation of the dance was altered.  The ‘flying bird men’ were replaced by Angels.  And their spinning descent to the ground represented the descent of the Angels into the Underworld to do battle with the forces of darkness (Joyabaj). 

The venerated steps of the Church of Santo Tomas

Photo Source:  Church of Santo Tomas

Rigoberta for President

Photo Source:  University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

In the news today, it was announced that Rigoberta Menchu is expecting to run in the election for President of Guatemala.  She will most likely be the candidate representing Frente Amplio de Izquierda (Humanitarian News). For those unfamiliar with Rigoberta, she is a K’iche’-Maya activist who has worked for decades to protect the indigenous people of Guatemala.   

In 1983, Rigoberta told her life story to a journalist.  The notes of that interview became the basis for the book, I, Rigoberta Menchu.  The book documented the loss of several of Rigoberta’s family members to rape, torture, and murder during the years of the Guatemalan Civil War.  Because of Rigoberta’s book, the international community woke up to the genocide that was happening in Guatemala (Nobel Peace Prize).  Rigoberta, along with other survivors, brought to trial a number of the perpetrators of the genocide. 

In 1992, Rigoberta became the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize.  The speech given at her award ceremony can be read here. 

Reading the Ancestors

Image Source:  Library Thinkquest.Org

The Ancient Maya wrote in a beautiful, highly artistic script.  They carved with it, painted with it, and wrote it in in their bark-paper books. But, Bishop Diego de Landa did not share my view of their artistry.  To him, the Mayan script was a tool that the devil used to spread heathenism. Consequently, he outlawed the Mayan language and writing. The Maya who disobeyed this law, were arrested and tortured. In 1562, the Bishop burned the Maya’s books; and destroyed much of their history, literature, and traditions in the process (Diego de Landa). Over time, the Maya lost their ability to read the ancient script.

Painting of Bishop Diego de Landa burning Mayan books

Photographed in Mani, Mexico by Keith Walbolt 

It was not until the late 1800’s that serious decipherment began.  Progress was hampered by the researchers’ preconceived notions. Yet, they were able to decipher the Mayan method for counting and recording dates.  Tatanya Proscuriokoff decoded the glyphs for ‘birth’, ‘coronation’, and ‘death’. Then she correlated those glyphs with the stalea at archaeological sites.  From this, she was able to read the history of several Mayan rulers. 

Other researches added pieces to the puzzle.  Uri Valenovich Konorokoff was the first to note that some glyphs represented the sounds of the Mayan language, while other glyphs were actual words.  Perhaps the most startling discovery was that of 18-year old, David Stuart.  He found that a single phoneme could be represented by many different glyphs. And, that these phonemic glyphs could be combined or merged with other glyphs, of the artist’s choosing.  This added an unexpected complexity and flexibility to the script.  

When about 80% of the glyphs had been deciphered, the researchers began teaching the modern-day Mayan how to read the ancient script.  For the first time in centuries, the Maya could read their own history, in the words of their ancestors.  

Image Source:  Beryl Gorbman

Most of the information for this post comes from the fascinating documentary, Cracking the Mayan Code.  There is much more to the decipherment story then what I have outlined here. For those who want to explore the subject further, the documentary is linked below. 

Gunpowder Children

Photo Source:  Child Labor Photographs

In rural Guatemala, children are expected to work - or they and their families do not eat. Firecracker manufacturing offers the highest pay for the children.  The work is repetitive, crippling, and extremely dangerous. Accidents and fatalities occur weekly.  A careless bump against a gunpowder-filled circle, could cause it to explode, and kill all the children in the work area.  Sparks are another danger and require extreme diligence (life Online).  

Children begin to manufacture firecrackers at the age of 6.  When demand for firecrackers is high, the children quit going to school in order to work longer hours.  9.9% of the boys and 5.5% of the girls  never return to school once the demand ebbs (IPEC).  A strip of firecrackers requires 3 days to manufacture.  Middlemen pay fifty cents per completed strip. Then they re-sell them for 12 times that amount.  There is no wage regulation within the firecracker industry.  Nor are there any health and safety codes.  

There are solutions being put forth to end, or at least reduce, the safety hazards faced by the children.  One program extends new business credit to families in exchange for promises to keep the children in school.  Another is working to build a safer firecracker factory.  At present, there are 5,000 children working in the Guatemalan firecracker industry.  

Indigenous Radio

Photo Source:  Esperanza Project

In the Peace Accords of 1996, the indigenous people of Guatemala were promised access to local radio frequencies.  Only commercial or government-run radio stations are currently allowable under Guatemalan law.  However, the commercial radio frequencies are sold at prices well beyond the financial resources of the Maya (Esperanza Project).  As a result, some Mayan individuals have set-up their own pirate radio stations.               

The radio programs offered on the stations typically include news stories, educational content, health information, and traditional Mayan music.  These programs are broadcast in 23 indigenous languages. There are 200+ Mayan stations operating illegally in Guatemala. Police are in the process of confiscating their equipment and shutting them down (Cultural Survival).  The broadcasters are punished with fines of $10,000 - $100,000 and up to 6 years in prison (Sound As a Dollar?).  It is not the illegality of the stations, nor the content of the programs, that ‘threaten’ the ruling power.  Rather, it is the underlying message that Mayan culture survives - despite massive attempts to eradicate it.

By denying access to radio frequencies and imposing steep penalties for transgressors, the Guatemalan government is attempting to silence the voice of the Maya.  The international community has taken note of this issue. Cultural Survival.Org has personally taken on the challenge of securing radio rights for the Maya.  They have organized the radio stations, drafted legislation, and conducted workshops with the broadcasters to help them run better quality, more efficient, broadcasting enterprises.  Anyone desiring to assist with the indigenous radio project should contact  Cultural Survival for more information.  For a fuller discussion of the issue of Maya radio access, please read Victoria Henderson’s master’s thesis, Sound As a Dollar?.

The Black Christ

Photo Source: Guatemala Guides

In the 1500’s, the people of Esquipulas desired to have a crucifix in their church.  Upon hearing of their desire, the Bishop of Antigua commissioned an artist to make a crucifix for them.  When it was completed, the villagers went to fetch it.  They built a platform on which to carry it back to Esquipulas.  As they walked through the countryside, the holy image drew hundreds of admirers.  Once in Esquipulas, the crucifix was placed in a small church. A pilgrim from Mexico prayed at the feet of crucifix, and was healed from his illness. The good news traveled fast.  Thousands of pilgrims came to view the crucifix. They brought candles for their relatives who could not make the journey.  Inside the church, the pilgrims burned their candles, along with a resinous incense. The smoke darkened the wooden crucifix. People began to call it the Black Christ (Writings of Scott Thomas).

The Archbishop of Guatemala made a pilgrimage to the Black Christ in the 18th century.   He was inspired to make the church bigger.  Then the popes began to visit. Pope John XXIII in 1961 and Pope John Paul II in 1996.  Pope John Paul II was moved by the pilgrimage experience and wrote about it here. The seed for the 1996 Guatemalan Peace Accords, which ended the Civil War, were drawn up in the holy town of Esquipulas (Lonely Planet). 

Today, thousands of people undertake a pilgrimage to Esquipulas during the year.  Many arrive in traditional clothing.  They sleep on the streets and sell their wares in colorful markets.  They spend hours standing in line, just to have a couple of minutes with the Black Christ.  Then they return home with tablets of healing clay, “tierra santo” and await their next pilgrimage opportunity. 

Brutalization of Indigenous Women

Photo Source:  BBC News

Amnesty International has reported that 685 women were brutally tortured and murdered in Guatemala in the year 2010.  Less than 4% of these cases are likely to result in convictions (BBC News). The international human-rights community has demanded that Guatemalan authorities investigate these crimes and prosecute those responsible.  Guatemalan authorities have shown little inclination to pursue the perpetrators and seem to lack the basic skills needed for the investigative work (North American Congress on Latin America).

Opinions differ greatly as to the cause of the violence. Some say that Guatemalan soldiers developed an appetite for rape and torture during the Civil War.  Ex-soldiers are thought to indulge this appetite by abducting and brutalizing indigenous women. It has been further suggested that the Guatemalan government secretly condones the brutality as a method of social control upon the indigenous population. Others say that the abducted women are involved in gangs or drugs and so deserve their fate. Indeed, a few of the victims have been shown to be thus involved (NACLA).

Earlier reports by Amnesty International indicate that there is an acute level of sexual violence within the homes of Guatemala.  Exasperating the domestic situation is the Guatemalan legal system that has long treated domestic violence as a minor disturbance.  The continuing lack of action by the authorities sends the message that violence against women is acceptable in Guatemala (BBC News). 

Lienzo de Quauhquechollan

Photo Source:  Quauhquechollan

The Lienzo de Quauhquechollan is a pictographic map that chronicles the conquest of Guatemala.  It is unique in that it reflects the point of view of the indigenous conquerors.  The Quauhquecholteca who painted the story map, were from Central  Mexico.  They had been unhappy under Aztec rule and allied themselves with the Spanish Conquistadors when they arrived.   

The Quauhquecholteca began painting the 8’ X 10’ cloth in 1530 while in the midst of their military campaign against the Maya.  The painted symbols on the cloth represented what was important to them during their journey through Guatemala.  Geographic landmarks, towns, events, activities, and  even cultural concepts had their own unique symbols.  The Quauhquecholteca often used lienzos as storyboards for oral presentations and public performances. 

New interpretations of the Lienzo de Quauhquechollan by Dutch archaeologist Florine Asselbergs, suggest that the purpose of this Lienzo was to document the active role of the Quauhquecholteca in the conquest of Guatemala; and to support their claim for the later spoils of that conquest.  

Asselbergs also suggests that is it was Jorge de Alvarado, and not his brother Pedro, who actually led the Spaniards against the Maya. 

The process of the digital restoration of the Lienzo is fascinating.  Rather than explain each step, it is more effective to simply refer the reader to the 10 minute video presentation of the process at Quauhquechollan. 

The Quauhquechollan website is the repository of the Lienzo de Quauhquechollan research that was undertaken by the Universidad Francisco Marroguin in Guatemala. It is an interesting website that invites further exploration. Information and images for this post were obtained from Quauhquechollan and its publications. A special thanks goes out to reader Aschrei for sharing the Quauhquechollan resource.

Quetzal Bird

Photo Source:  El Mundo Hispano

The Maya have a legend about Quetzal Bird.  They say he was once a shabby-looking creature, with no future prospects.  However, Quetzal Bird was an ambitious and intelligent sort of fellow.  One day, he seized upon a clever idea and tricked Roadrunner into handing over his brilliant feathers.  At the opportune moment, Quetzal Bird displayed his newly acquired plumage and won the title of King of Birds. ( full version of the story at First People) 

The Quetzal bird has long held a lofty position in the Maya world.  He is said to represent the God of the Air. (Helium) The Maya considered it a crime to kill a Quetzal bird, especially since the feathers could be taken without killing him.  These feathers were highly valuable and worth more than gold. (National Geographic News) The Maya elite wore the feathers to mark their wealth and status. 

Today, the Quetzal bird is immortalized as the national bird of Guatemala.  His image appears on the Guatemalan flag and his name represents the unit of Guatemalan currency. (Guatemalan Quetzal)

Image Source:  Maps of the World

There is some evidence that the Maya built their architecture with an awareness of acoustics.  Clapping you hands at the pyramid of Chichen Itza is said to resemble the calls of the Quetzal bird. 

Compare the video to this audio clip from JungleWalk of a real Quetzal bird. 

A photograph can not do justice to the luminescence of the Quetzal plumage. See the video at The Internet Bird Collection.  The male Quetzal appears around the 30 second mark. 

Music of Guatemala

Photo Source:  TravelPod

The music of Guatemala is a blend of influences from the indigenous Maya and Xinca, the coastal Garifuna, and the Europeans.  Like any modern nation, Guatemala has a wide diversity of music styles; from Indigenous through Classical to Hip Hop.  This post will highlight the indigenous and folk music of Guatemala. 


The marimba (a percussion instrument) is fantastically popular in Guatemala and has been elevated to the status of national instrument.  It is uniquely constructed from native Hormigo wood that gows only in the local forests.  The origin of this instrument is steeped in controversy (Bella Online) and reflects the  ongoing ethnic strife that is Guatemala.  Here are two clips of marimba music in Guatemala. 

The following clip is a fantastic re-creation of traditional Mayan instruments by Rey Ortega. Near the end of the clip is a flute played with fire and another constructed from a human skull. 

This next clip is a percussion and wind composition.  It is accompanied by a slide show of the Mayan archaeological ruins. 

The final clip is a popular composition that is heard throughout Latin America.  This particular group is from Guatemala

Conquest, Colonization, & Slavery

Photo source:  Pedro de Alvarado

In 1523, Spanish Conquistador, Pedro de Alvarado, conducted a brutal military expedition against the independent kingdoms of Guatemala.  With 120 horsemen, 300 foot soldiers, and an alliance with the Cakchiquel natives, Alvarado easily defeated the Maya defenses. One after another, he burned the kingdoms to the ground and enslaved the Maya people. (History of Guatemala)

Pedro de Alvarado was an exceeding cruel man. His inhumanity has been recorded in the Lienzo de Quauhquechollan.  This document contains numerous instances in which he burned natives alive or threw them to his dogs. For his success, Alvarado was appointed governor of Guatemala in 1527 by Charles I of Spain.  He carried the title until his death in 1541.   (Pedro de Alvarado)

After the Conquest, the Spaniards built elaborate churches with stones taken from the ruined Mayan temples. (Destination 360) They divided up the land and rewarded themselves with encomiendas.  These large, land-holdings included native villages and towns.  It was expected that the new landowners would offer religious education to the natives.  In actuality, the encomiendas were places of legalized slavery. (Latin American History) 

Five hundred years later, the situation is little improved. Human trafficking and child kidnapping are thriving economic activities in Guatemala.  Rainforest areas are now under the control of drug gangs.  And in December 2010, the Guatemalan government declared a state of siege in the Peten region. Two different perspectives of this recent development can be viewed at (BBC News)  and at (Intercontinental Cry) 

The Basics

Photo from Country Reports

Guatemala is one of the most beautiful countries in Central America.  It is a mountainous land with active volcanoes, lush rain forests, and 249 miles of coastline.  At 13,816 feet, Volcan Tajumulco is the highest peak in Central America.  Eco-tourists are drawn to Guatemala's colorful orchids and birds.  Other tourists come to walk among the fantastic, archaeological ruins of the Maya. 


The descendants of the ancient Maya continue to live in the area of their homeland.  They constitute 40.6% of the present population of Guatemala.  The other 59.4% including the Mestizos and Europeans.  At 14.3 million, Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America.  Spanish is the official language, but at least 23 indigenous languages are spoken within the republic.  The Maya maintain a strong presence in the country.  Many still wear traditional Mayan clothing and sell handcrafted items in colorful markets.  


For all its beauty and achievements of the past, Guatemala is a country facing extreme challenges.  Nearly 200,000 people were slaughtered during the recent civil war (1960-1996).  Another 50,000 people remain unaccounted for.  The poverty rate hovers at 56% and breeds violence and crime.  Guatemala has the lowest life expectancy rate (68 years) in Latin America and the highest fertility rate (3.36 children/woman).  Only 69% of the population is literate.  These are grim statistics to overcome.  During the next several months, this blog will cover these issues and more. (Statistics obtained from BBC News and CIA World Fact Book)

Why Guatemala?

Photo from Eagle Visions

I have always felt a fondness for the Maya people and their rainforest home.  I marvel at their resiliency and the long survival of their culture.  In this blog, I will be writing about the people and places of Guatemala.  I also hope to highlight the work of forensic anthropologists in the post-war period.