Education in Ixim Ulew (Guatemala): Maya Indigenous Knowledge and Building New Citizens

Original research conducted in Ixim Ulew with 17 Indigenous Maya educators illustrates that the current education system promotes a citizenship that endeawurs to assimilate Indigenous peoples into the mainstream. The to discuss the role of Maya Indigenous knowledge in education for countering a homogenizing citizenship is relevant on the heels of the end of a 36-year civil war in 1996. This event catalyzed normative advances that recognize cultural difference today and, yet, the divide between discourse and domination is afine line. This article discusses the implications of centering Maya Indigenous knowledge in nation building and education, such as the concept ]un Winaq, for promoting a model inclusive of Indigenous citizenship.IntroductionIxim Ulew is part of a larger Mayab' (Maya territory) that extends from the southern Mexican states of Chiapas and Yucatan to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Presently, 21 different sociolinguistic Maya groups represent over 60 percent of Guatemala's population (Tzian, 1994, p. 82). The other Indigenous groups represented are the Xinka and Afrodescendant Garifuna. Also, there are the mestizos or mixed-blood peoples, and the ladinos, who are a minority but control most of the political, economic, and social power (see Tzian, 1994). Although the term ladino refers to Spanish descendants and mestizo refers to mixed-blood people who, in addition to having Spanish blood, also have Indigenous blood, both terms erase Indigenous identity and are used interchangeably today1. They also are a reflection of the state-controlled regulation of identity that promotes a nationalist agenda but denies the validity of struggles for land and territory and collective rights.Unlike Indigenous peoples in former colonies such as Canada and the United States, Indigenous peoples in Guatemala have never negotiated with the state on issues pertaining to land and territories. Not having any treaties to rely on has made discussing issues with government difficult. However, Maya Indigenous groups have historically made alliances with the political left in an effort to participate in social transformation, albeit with very little gains regarding specific Indigenous issues such as political participation, self-determination, repatriation of stolen objects, and land claims (Adams, 1995; Smith, 1990).In spite of a lack of treaties, Indigenous peoples in Ixim Ulew have worked towards advancing self-determination within the context of the Peace Accords signed in 1996 and in the context of the International Labour Organization's Convention No. 169, a legally binding agreement that deals with the of Indigenous and tribal peoples. This historical event marked the beginning of the participation of Indigenous peoples in political processes aimed at democratizing the country and bringing peace. However, this contested situation calls for further consideration of the extent to which issues of exclusion have been resolved, and how the application of Maya Indigenous knowledge (MIK) may be of benefit.The purpose of this paper is to foreground the to shift the current colonial citizenship paradigm towards an Indigenous one, and the important implications for education. I propose that this model moves beyond the material confines of an individual discourse, given that Indigenous understandings of relationships encompass our spiritual connection and collective responsibilities to the universe. For this purpose, when I discuss Indigenous rights, I also allude to the responsibilities that arise from claiming those rights. In addition, I refer to Jaimes-Guerrero's conceptualization of land rights, which need to be understood in a context of culture and territoriality . . . [which] differs from what we traditionally understand as proprietary rights (Jaimes-Guerrero, 1997, p. 101).I address concerns about citizenship in three sections. In the first section, I provide the background leading to Maya Indigenous demands for self-determination, and discuss the implications for education. …

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