In the Spring, I did not believe my Capstone was going to revolve around what I have currently. At first, I believed it was going to be solely environmentally based, yet during the summer I had the opportunity to expand thanks to meeting such an amazing community with a culture that was brand new to me. Now, I have a Capstone that not only encompasses the teacher and student population of the education center I was in while I was in Guatemala, but environmental themes as well. I am proud of the outcome I have with my Capstone, since I attempted my best to highlight the culture of the Pavarotti Center overall, and during the fall will attempt my best to be able to bring a piece of the center with me on FSU’s campus.
The Beautiful Land of Many Trees
What did you do over the summer and what was your interest? (Introduction)
In a book I found while I was completing my experience over the summer, “Stories and Legends about Guatemala,” the country was called Kumarkaaj. From the derivative of the K’iche Mayan word, Guatemala signifies the “place of many trees.” This said, my initial goal with my summer experience was to delve into the environmental issues within the specific area I was in near Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Yet, once embracing my own role over the summer I decided a better idea was to highlight the Mayan culture and its significance it contributed towards for the community I was helping. Over the summer, I had the opportunity of teaching English to the student community within Pavarotti Education Center in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Having the opportunity to connect with so many students and teachers, as well as having the teachers teach me about their own culture helped me develop the interest of researching the Kaqchikel Mayan culture that was predominant in this community.
Explanation of community based interest (Literature Review)
“This is the Maya ritual site mentioned located within the Pavarotti Education Center, the mural depicts the Nahual E, which symbolizes the path of destiny and life.” – Chaim, co-director of the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation.
I was able to experience the Kaqchikel Mayan culture during my stay within the Pavarotti Education Center. As explained, my initial focus was environmentalism though it shifted more towards valuing the significance of Maya culture contribution towards the environment. “The Maya view the Earth as being animate and sacred,” involving several ceremonies that factor in the environment (Scott, 2009). The interconnection between Maya culture and the environment can demonstrate the significance of the community I was within in the Pavarotti Education Center. A specific example of this is the representation of Nahuales at a ritual site within the center and around San Lucas Toliman. There are twenty different energies referred to as Nahuales, these are found in the Maya day a person is born and influences the way they act with other people and the Earth itself.
(I want to include a QR of a website where people can find their own Nahual for my project: https://mcd.gob.gt/calcular-nawal/).
How did you explore it? (Methods)
During one of the classes, we took time to plant near Lake Atitlan in which I took this picture of one of the students from the Primero Basico class, Emily. Emily mentioned, “I plant with my hands because it does not harm the environment, just as my Nahual demonstrates a deep connection with Mother Nature.”
It began with the co-director of the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation, Chaim, who had spoken with me and mentioned different cultural Mayan aspects within Pavarotti. From there I mentioned my interest in exploring Mayan culture during my stay in Guatemala to be able to incorporate it into my Capstone project. From her recommendation, I spoke with the Kaqchikel language teacher, Ms. Yamaniq and she directed me with helpful books to be able to explore the culture to determine how to format it within my project. I began searching in the books to find the origins of cultural Mayan identity, focusing on Nahuales and the deep environmental connection within the culture. “We have learned and created, in our human lives, life, Mother Earth and the Universe has provided” (Ajú, 2012). As explained in one of the literature sources Ms. Yamaniq provided me, speaking from an individual part of the Maya community in Guatemala. Along with this, I decided it was essential to incorporate actual excerpts from students and teachers within Pavarotti regarding their own culture and care for the environment.
How did your experience shape your understanding of your interest? (Discussion)
In this photo, two students, Belen (right) and Yocelyn (left), with Ms.Mayra are wearing their traje.
My interest evolved into wanting to understand further Mayan culture as a way of not only valuing the welcoming experience the directory, students, and teachers provided me within Pavarotti. So many happy memories as well as new understandings were formed within this experience, for example, one of them being one of the students explaining the process of traditional Mayan weaving. This ancient cultural process is of immense importance for the culture, with the ethnic expression of the huipil (the top portion of the traje, traditional Mayan women’s dress). In this workshop after their classes, the students were weaving the huipil which as they explained could take up to one month to complete only one-half of such an intricate design. I learned various details about Mayan culture during my experience, specifically through the students themselves. I helped teach the students English, and they taught me their own culture and overall identity.
How does this shape your plans for your time at FSU? (Conclusion)
This summer experience has been extremely rewarding and fulfilling, allowing me to foster valuable connections with both Pavarotti Education Center and the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation. An immense thank you to the Moellership Program opportunity provided through the Center for Leadership and Service as well as Global Scholars, for allowing such an opportunity to happen. From here, my plans at FSU are to establish an English learning program for the students virtually through PeaceJam which was an idea provided by the English teacher in Pavarotti, Ms. Mayra. Through my Capstone project, Moellership, and other opportunities present at FSU I will continue to speak about my own experience and what I learned. My goal is to speak about this community in Guatemala, to demonstrate to others that not only were they students in a class I helped teach English in, as well as bright individuals with their own piece of intricate culture to share.
References
Ajú, P. X. (2012). Orientación Pedagógica de Cultura Maya (Identidad) Ruka’n Ruk’u’x Tijonïk Segundo Básico. Área de Ciencias Sociales y Formación Ciudadana CNB/MINEDUC.
Guatemala Facts – About Guatemala – Enjoy Guatemala. (2020, August 17). Enjoy Guatemala. https://www.enjoyguatemala.com/facts-about-guatemala/
Scott, M. (2009, May 1). Communicating with the sacred earthscape : ethnoarchaeological investigation of Kaqchikel Maya ceremonies in highland Guatemala. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/18418
HSF House Blogs 