Today, I took my students to Kaminaljuyu. This is an ancient Mayan ruin in the heart of the city. They have excavated a good portion of it and as you can see in the photo above, you are able to walk through the ruins a bit and see up close part of the structures. Today was a really a good day to go. I want to make sure the students get to see the fullness of indigenous presence in the capital which is why I make sure it is included. But on Sunday, you get to see so much more than expected.
On Sundays, many Mayans come to the park to pray, to hear the Bible in Mayan dialects, sing, chant and worship in the ways that fit them. I began to see this as yet another example of how a marginalized people can still be so friggin awesome in the midst of the the very society that tries to keep them at arms length. In the heart of the city, in a residential neighborhood, dozens of Mayans in traditional or contemporary dress came to Kaminaljuyu to just be spiritual.
The part that strikes me most is there is a slight nod of respect from the government for these rituals to take place. Guatemalan nationals pay about 75 cents to enter the park while non-citizens pay about $7. This allows for the donation but keeps the price for it affordable for a group of people who may or may not have the financial means.
What if we did that? What if we let storefront churches just meet in empty buildings to pray and worship once a week for $1? What if we let struggling schools convene anyway instead of closing them down and leaving the buildings to remain abandoned and empty?
Although I still see there are places for improvement in regards to the condition of the Maya, giving them one day a week to just be what they need to be to garner whatever spiritual strength they need to continue on, for the just a donation to the upkeep of their sacred space, is a whole lot farther than the lengths we go for our indigenous people in the US.
Yes, this post goes a bit broader than just Black Away from Home. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t show support for those like us around the world…
Buenas noches.
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