Student Sample Annotated Bib

Devine, Jennifer A. "Colonizing space and commodifying place: tourism's violent geographies." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 25, no. 5 (2017): 634-650.

This article about the contemporary form that colonization has taken in keeping up with the times. It shows how tourism, in particularly eco-tourism is about colonizing bodies and minds. This new form of colonization is about creating a reality to serve the dominant groups. Historically, eco-tourism is done by individuals from first world countries who come to places such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize with certain expectations. These expectations influence the way in which Indigenous Peoples such as the Maya act and look like in order to cater to the tourist. This perception also has an influence on the land itself and how ‘it’ should look like and feel. The concept of tourism pits people from colonial powers such as the U.S. with those of colonial countries such as Guatemala. This interaction continues to replicate colonialism from the unbalance of power and wealth to the way in which Indigenous Peoples act and think to support themselves.

This article further argues, “neoliberal economic reforms have combined with tourism’s dual violent practices of spatial colonization and the commodification of place to fuel this growth” (Devin, 2017). Drawing on examples from Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, it demonstrates how development commodifies nature and “expands capitalism’s spatial frontier into “underdeveloped” and/or semi-proletarized spaces” (Devine, 2017). Thus, continuing the legacy of colonization.

Garrard-Burnett, Virginia. "Living with ghosts: Death, exhumation, and reburial among the Maya in Guatemala." Latin American Perspectives 42, no. 3 (2015): 180-192.

The civil war in Guatemala left a deep void in the hearts of the family who were affected. These wounds were made by the disappearance of relatives by the Guatemalan government along with the guerrillas. First the scholarly people were taken and then, it was the Indigenous Peoples who suffered the most loss in a short amount of time. Until recently, most crimes had been left unsolved because of the corruption or intimidation by entities that wanted the past forgotten. Fortunately, this is changing because of organizations that are working towards bringing forth justice to those who were wronged.

As such, this study “focuses on Maya’s responses to disappearances and death, including the role that the supernatural plays in bereavement, reconciliation, and historical memory and in the memorialization of loved ones lost to violence” (Garrard-Birmett, 2015). Maya Peoples have not fully been allowed to deal with the loss of their loved ones partly because most of the people that disappeared have not been found due to their burial in clandestine graves. These graves often hold a significant number of people with no markings.

This disappearance has left a void in the collective memory of the Maya. Many parts of the community have not been able to be at ease because the bodies have not been

found. As such, the Maya have not had a real chance to grieve. Due to this, “women, in particular, seemed to suffer from depression after a death, and they reported imperative dreams about lost fathers and husbands from which they could find no relief until the bodies were located and given proper burial.” Through anthropology, these bodies are being recovered and given a proper burial ceremony as part of the culture. In addition, by being able to reclaim the bodies of the lost individuals, so too is a closure for Mayan People and a reclamation of self-sovereignty.

Lopez, Floridalma Boj. "Mobile archives of indigeneity: Building La Comunidad Ixim through organizing in the Maya diaspora." Latino Studies 15, no. 2 (2017): 201-218.

The Maya Indigenous identity is complex because there is one key issue because it is often thought of a thing of the past. In addition, an Indigenous identity is tied to the land and order to discuss a Maya identity in the United States, there is an issue of immigration that is often left out of the conversation. This extra layer creates a hybrid identity. For this reason, this article discusses how Indigeneity, in particularly Maya identity is fussed with new traditions along with old, in helping define what it means to be Maya in Los Angeles. In particularly a group named Ixim who brings together Maya Indigenous groups in the Los Angeles area.

Since most of the participants in the article identity as Maya, not because of their parents, but because of how they were raised by the grandparents while the parents worked. This connection to their grandparents allows the youth to learn about the customs, language, religion and what it means to have a Maya identity. Since the Indigenous identity is tied to the land, the Maya identity has adapted to its surroundings in order to be maintained. This new identity looks very different from that of Guatemala. The Maya identity adapt to its new surroundings, evolving with time and the interactions between other individuals and groups. This identity is defined by time because Indigeneity brings together grandparents and grandchildren together in order to maintain a family unity. Time is important because an Indigenous identity transcends generations within the lives of the participants. It is defined by space because there is no connection between the land in Los Angeles. As such, the importance of Ixim because it provides a unity to youth who are learning to navigate multiple identities.

Rubin, Beth Cara. "“They don’t tell it”: Indigenous social studies teachers in post conflict Guatemala." Journal of International Social Studies 6, no. 1 (2016): 114-127.

After the Guatemalan civil war that lasted 36 years, ending in 1996 with the signing of the peace accords; the government along with external entities such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund establish certain guidelines to develop a “culture of peace and democracy to the country’s educational system” (Rubin, 2016). This curriculum was developed to meet four ejes, “democratic life, and culture of peace, unity in diversity, sustainable development, and science and technology” (Rubin, 2016). This curriculum of inclusion erases the past and focuses on certain aspects of the war.

It is in this tread that policy makers want to build a new civil Guatemalan identity, moving away from conflict; yet this curriculum lacks the opportunity for students and

instructors to engage in healing dialogue and reconciliation with a waring past. For this reason, social studies teachers are modifying the lesson plans to meet the needs of their students. This is true in particularly rural areas of Guatemala, where a connection is being made between “Indigenous ancestors and locally fashioned Indigenous connections” and the national curriculum” (Rubin, 2016). Ultimately, this article discusses the importance of maintaining a “collective memory” and learning to navigate a new system that acknowledges the past, yet brings people together under one flag.

Rubin, Beth C. "We come to form ourselves bit by bit: Educating for citizenship in post- conflict Guatemala." American Educational Research Journal 53, no. 3 (2016): 639-672.

The implementation of a democratic citizenship education “has become a common prescription for the civic reconstruction of post-conflict society” (Rubin, 2016). As such, Guatemala is part of this civic reconstruction since it went through a civil war. The issue with this is the desire to have a “usable past” that might help move the society forward into a post-conflict future and the equity pressing need for an honest reckoning” (Rubin, 2016). As such, this discussion is about civic identity “from the perspective of a diverse population.” (Rubin, 2016). This study is focused on three schools, two of which are Indigenous students serving while the last one serves a Ladino population. Both schools serving Indigenous students’ death more about the genocide and the conviction of the general Rios Montt in-charge of the genocide. Yet in the Ladino school, the sentiment is about forgetting the war and not acknowledging the past. In this school, it is about mixing and omitting the truth to talk about a past that only benefits the dominant group.

This is about the working definition of civic identity. After the peace accord, there was policy developed and set forth in place to provide a definition on what this means to the Guatemalan government; however, this civility is defined by each school and community. This can be very different depending on the social status of the students and also the location of the schools. It also depends on the identity of the students whether they are ladino or Indigenous. The history, in particularly the civil war created a new need for a national identity based on civility and nationalism to unite the different segments of the population affected by the war.

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