Making a Place for the Future in Maya Guatemala

Download or read book Making a Place for the Future in Maya Guatemala written by John P. Hawkins and published by University of New Mexico Press. This book was released on 2024-10-15 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1998, Hurricane Mitch pounded the isolated village of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán in mountainous western Guatemala, destroying many homes. The experience traumatized many Ixtahuaquenses. Much of the community relocated to be safer and closer to transportation that they hoped would help them to improve their lives, acquire more schooling, and find supportive jobs. This study followed the two resulting communities over the next quarter century as they reconceived and renegotiated their place in Guatemalan society and the world. Making a Place for the Future in Maya Guatemala shows how humans continuously evaluate and rework the efficacy of their cultural heritage. This process helps explain the inevitability and speed of culture change in the face of natural disasters and our ongoing climate crisis.