An Indian Woman In Guatemala
Guatemala is the land of Eternal Springs and the home of the richly cultured and
historic Mayan people. It it also the country of Rigoberta Menchu, an
illiterate farm worker, turned voice of oppressed people everywhere. Guatemala
also has the sad distinction of being home to Latin America's oldest civil war.
"For more than three decades, left-wing guerrillas have fought a series of
rightist governments in Guatemala. The war has killed an estimated 140,000 in
the country, which has 11 million people." (N.Y. Times June 14, 1996 pA4 col 2)
This is a story of a people in crisis, and one woman's struggle to use truth, as
a means of setting her people free.
The majority of the population are Indians, and much of the struggles arise out
of the ashes of the past. Spain conquered Guatemala in 1524, which was the
start of the oppression of the native people of Guatemala. Since this time the
native people have been ruled by the Spanish speaking minority, the Ladinos,
many of which are descended from the Spanish colonists.
Beginning in 1954, when Guatemala's elected government was overthrown by the
army, the military began a brutal war against the Indian people. This type of
torture and oppression continued, and during the 1970's the repression was
especially harsh; during this time more and more Indians began to resist. It
was during this time that Rigoberta Menchu's family became involved in the
resistance.
The situation in Guatemala is similar to South Africa, where the black majority
are ruled with absolute power by the white minority. Like South Africa, the
Indians in Guatemala are lacking in even the most basic of human rights.
"Indeed the so-called forest Indians are being systematically exterminated in
the name of progress. But unlike the Indian rebels of the past, who wanted to
go back to pre-Columbian times, Rigoberta Menchu is not fighting in the name of
an idealized or mythical past." (Menchu xiii) Rigoberta is working toward
drawing attention to the plight of native people around the globe.
Once an illiterate farm worker, she has taught herself to read and write Spanish,
the language of her oppressor, as a means of relating her story to the world.
She tells the story of her life with honesty and integrity in hopes of
impressing upon the world the indignation of the oppressed. In additi...
... middle of paper ...
...She has been accused of supporting the country's
leftist actions and harming Guatemala's image abroad.
In awarding the prize, the Nobel committee wanted to draw attention to the
plight of Guatemala's Indians in the hope that it would lead to improved
conditions. Recently, Guatemalans have found cause for that hope, as a peace
accord is due to be signed in January 1997, ending the fighting between the
rebels and the government. In addition, a truth commission has been formed to
help families of disappeared members find answers relating to their deaths, by
uncovering the country's many unmarked mass graves. Rigoberta Menchu continues
to live in exile under death threghts upon her return to Guatemala. She is well
adapted to the life which has been handed down to her, by generations of poor
and oppressed Indians. Yet when she speaks, she speaks of her beautiful culture,
and of the many joys that her family had over the years, all without a trace of
bitterness in her voice.
Works Cited
Menchu, Rigoberta. I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman In Guatemala. London:
Verso, 1984.
"Guatemalans Take New Step Toward Peace." The New York Times 14 June 1996,
pA4 col 2
From the time of its colonization at the hands of Spanish Conquistadors in the early 1500’s, Guatemala has suffered under the oppression of dictator after dictator. These dictators, who ruled only with the support of the military and only in their own interests, created a form of serfdom; by 1944, two percent of the people owned 70 percent of the usable land.
Guatemala’s culture is a unique product of Native American ways and a strong Spanish colonial heritage. About half of Guatemala’s population is mestizo (known in Guatemala as ladino), people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Ladino culture is dominant in urban areas, and is heavily influenced by European and North American trends. Unlike many Latin American countries, Guatemala still has a large indigenous population, the Maya, which has retained a distinct identity. Deeply rooted in the rural highlands of Guatemala, many indigenous people speak a Mayan language, follow traditional religious and village customs, and continue a rich tradition in textiles and other crafts. The two cultures have made Guatemala a complex society that is deeply divided between rich and poor. This division has produced much of the tension and violence that have marked Guatemala’s history (Guatemalan Culture and History).
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