Aztec, Maya, Inca

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Aztec, Maya, Inca

• Today

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"We are not myths of the past, ruins in the
jungle or zoos. We are people and we want to be
respected, not to be victims of intolerance and
racism."

• --Rigoberta Mench'u Tum, winner of the 1992 Nobel
  Peace Prize.

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• Former Dictator of Guatemala, Rios Montt, found
  guilty of genocide against Mayan people.
• During 1980s, the government of Rios Montt
  massacred thousands of Maya suspected of
  supporting leftists. UN reports estimate
  200,000 Maya killed.
• Rios Montt had the support of the US Government
  (Ronald Reagan) and CIA provided logistical
  assistance.

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• Today there is dancing in the street!
• Peasant Maya farmers were caught in the middle of
  global geopolitics.
• Maya make up 515 of population in Guatemala.
  Some 8 million live in Mexico and Central America.

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• Although the indigenous peoples of Mexico,
  MesoAmerica and South America are often relegated
  to second class status and endured centuries of
  repression, they have managed to maintain many
  aspects of their culture.
• Recently there has been a revitalization of
  cultural identity through arts, education,
  indigenous rights movements, and tourism.

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Revival of culture through the arts
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Mexican heritage renewed
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Local movements . San Jose
At Cesar Chavez Plaza (1995)
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Those of Aztec heritage are beginning to assert
renewed identity as Aztec through names and
festivals.
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Traditional ways are blended with new.
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Dance as a vehicle of cultural transmission.
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Maintenance of culture through arts, language,
and education.
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Ancient customs and syncretism
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Inca survival in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador
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Inca Inti Raymi festival
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Festival Celebrations intended for tourists have
stimulated a sub-text of cultural awakening.
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Music
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Poetry to convey culture and as act of defiance