Since the inception of this project in May 2023 (5 No’j) we had all known each other from messages on WhatsApp, email, text, and video, yet the team of contributors at the Mayan Languages Preservation Project had not had the pleasure of meeting face to face. All of that changed on August 10th of 2024. Our team came together from Cobán, Huehuetenango, Tecpan, Patzicia, Nahualá, Seococ, Quetzaltenango, and Santa Maria de Jesús. Considering the geography and distance between the communities where our teammates live, this was certainly a gathering that required time and effort, for which we express our gratitude.
As we exchanged embraces, handshakes, shared meals, talked, and listened to one another and the personal and collective love that each of us share for Mayan languages and cultures, it was easy to get lost in the moment of joy. The team at the Mayan Languages Preservation Project had the great pleasure of holding a team building event in Panajachel, on the shores of picturesque Lake Atitlán. Our contributors (as well as some of their children and loved ones) were provided round-trip fare, lodging, and meals for the weekend event that brought all who reside in Guatemala together for the very first time. This event was a unifying occasio where we exchanged gifts, smiles, indumentaria, books and other resources to aid one another in moving this work forward — together. We shared personal stories about why we think it is critical to preserve and maintain Mayan languages and cultures in a fast-moving and homogenous world.
The short answer is this: We preserve Mayan languages and cultures because it connects us to a sacred past as we become bridges future generations. As we labor with our hearts and minds, we demonstrate love and respect for those who had the wisdom and knowledge to share the treasures of life with all of us and pass on that knowledge to future generations; so that all might live with dignity and the assurance that these languages and cultures will not only endure, rather, together we thrive.
The days following the celebration and team building, the Mayan Languages Preservation Project had the privilege to meet with two institutions in Guatemala City which are both dedicated to the creation of local language media and the dissemination of materials, both pedagogical and professional, to millions of Mayan language speakers across Guatemala and beyond. We are pleased to announce collaborative agreements with a publishing house that is dedicated to publishing books in Mayan languages by Mayan language authors. Additionally, we are equally thrilled to announce a collaborative agreement local radio station to create cultural exchange via over-the-air and online radio programs dedicated to maintaining cultural and linguistic bonds between Mayan language speakers in the United States and their home communities in Guatemala.
We are also grateful for our ongoing collaboration with Centro Tecnológico Bilingüe. During this trip, we had the pleasure of visiting the school once more. CTB hosted a lunch of caldo de gallina at the school, where we were pleased to personally thank the director, Lister Garcia Hun and the teachers for their dedication to this work.
In summary, our team continues to grow. We are fortunate to have bright minds that continue to contribute their love for and knowledge of Mayan languages and cultures to our project and create new materials through innovative thinking that motivates and inspires. The events over the past week in Guatemala can only be described as UNIFIED.
Winston K. Scott Ph.D.
Director, The Mayan Languages Preservation Project
Since the inception of this project in May 2023 (5 No’j) we had all known each other from messages on WhatsApp, email, text, and video, yet the team of contributors at the Mayan Languages Preservation Project had not had the pleasure of meeting face to face. All of that changed on August 10th of 2024. Our team came together from Cobán, Huehuetenango, Tecpan, Patzicia, Nahualá, Seococ, Quetzaltenango, and Santa Maria de Jesús. Considering the geography and distance between the communities where our teammates live, this was certainly a gathering that required time and effort, for which we express our gratitude.
As we exchanged embraces, handshakes, shared meals, talked, and listened to one another and the personal and collective love that each of us share for Mayan languages and cultures, it was easy to get lost in the moment of joy. The team at the Mayan Languages Preservation Project had the great pleasure of holding a team building event in Panajachel, on the shores of picturesque Lake Atitlán. Our contributors (as well as some of their children and loved ones) were provided round-trip fare, lodging, and meals for the weekend event that brought all who reside in Guatemala together for the very first time. This event was a unifying occasio where we exchanged gifts, smiles, indumentaria, books and other resources to aid one another in moving this work forward — together. We shared personal stories about why we think it is critical to preserve and maintain Mayan languages and cultures in a fast-moving and homogenous world.
The short answer is this: We preserve Mayan languages and cultures because it connects us to a sacred past as we become bridges future generations. As we labor with our hearts and minds, we demonstrate love and respect for those who had the wisdom and knowledge to share the treasures of life with all of us and pass on that knowledge to future generations; so that all might live with dignity and the assurance that these languages and cultures will not only endure, rather, together we thrive.
The days following the celebration and team building, the Mayan Languages Preservation Project had the privilege to meet with two institutions in Guatemala City which are both dedicated to the creation of local language media and the dissemination of materials, both pedagogical and professional, to millions of Mayan language speakers across Guatemala and beyond. We are pleased to announce collaborative agreements with a publishing house that is dedicated to publishing books in Mayan languages by Mayan language authors. Additionally, we are equally thrilled to announce a collaborative agreement local radio station to create cultural exchange via over-the-air and online radio programs dedicated to maintaining cultural and linguistic bonds between Mayan language speakers in the United States and their home communities in Guatemala.
We are also grateful for our ongoing collaboration with Centro Tecnológico Bilingüe. During this trip, we had the pleasure of visiting the school once more. CTB hosted a lunch of caldo de gallina at the school, where we were pleased to personally thank the director, Lister Garcia Hun and the teachers for their dedication to this work.
In summary, our team continues to grow. We are fortunate to have bright minds that continue to contribute their love for and knowledge of Mayan languages and cultures to our project and create new materials through innovative thinking that motivates and inspires. The events over the past week in Guatemala can only be described as UNIFIED.
Winston K. Scott Ph.D.
Director, The Mayan Languages Preservation Project