Discusses linking language with notions of collective identity and peoplehood by undertaking an historical inquiry into the ways conceptions of language, peoplehood, and nationhood have been interconnected in Guatemala. Focuses on Mayan languages and how they constitute Mayans as a distinct people, as distinct nationalities with a long history.…

Examined cultural variation in management of attention by 14- to 20-month olds and caregivers from Guatemalan Mayan community and middle-class community of U.S. European-descent families. Found that Mayan caregivers and toddlers were more likely to attend simultaneously to spontaneously occurring competing events than were U.S. caregivers and…

Culture can be thought of a set of shared practices, beliefs, and values that are transmitted across generations through language [Bruner, J. (1990). "Acts of meaning". Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press]. Teaching is one way that culture is transmitted, but forms of teaching vary across cultures and across activity settings within…

This mentorship project between three artist-teachers from different cultures reveals insights into the transmission of cross-cultural painting pedagogy. A collaborative ethnographic study is described that explores my perspective as a North-American painter participating in a mentorship learning experience with Mayan Tz'utuhil painter Pedro…

The general goals of the Guatemalan technical institution, the Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin, are to: create a national technical resource institution in linguistics and Mayan languages; enable Indians to influence programs for their communities; and stimulate the study of Mayan languages and their use as communication medium. (SW)

This curriculum unit takes the form of historical fiction, an original story for middle school students which revolves around the 16th-century Spanish conquest of Guatemala and the Mayan people. Incorporated into the story are many of the Mayan sites, ruins, geography, culture, legends, historical characters, and cities. The climax is set at the…

This curriculum unit on Mexican and Guatemalan archaeology is designed for students at a college preparatory high school who have taken a course in ancient and medieval history. The unit lists history and archaeology texts and teacher resources and is divided into the following sections: (1) geography assignment on Mexico and Guatemala; (2)…

This information pack tells the story of one of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the Maya of Guatemala. It covers Mayan culture and daily life as well as the discrimination experienced by the Maya and the fight for human rights in Guatemala. Containing a wealth of activities designed for mixed ability classes, the pack also can be used for…

The educational deficit in Guatemala, reflected in a high, chronic level of illiteracy, is only partly due to the existence of a large, multilingual Indian population. The high proportion of rural population and the ineffectiveness of the rural education program must be addressed to increase literacy in Guatemala. (Author/CB)

This curriculum unit on textiles is intended for middle school students who have previously studied the cultures of modern and ancient Latin America. The unit does not employ Spanish language skills. Its lessons apply to individual, small group, and whole group work, and may take from 30 minutes to three class periods. The guide lists necessary…

Reviews the historical and contemporary social situation of the indigenous peoples of Guatemala and Nicaragua, including the current conflict between the Sandinista government and the Miskitu Indians. (GC)

Examined the development of teaching skills in older siblings responsible for teaching their younger siblings to become competent members of their culture among children from a Zinacantec Maya village in Chiapas, Mexico. Found that by age 4, children took responsibility for initiating teaching situations with their younger siblings, and by 8,…

The history of anthropology among the Maya consists of both the literal exploitation of archaeological finds and the appropriation of Maya culture and history by the Western academic world to construct distorted theories of the Maya past. In the ultimate disgrace, some Mayan priests are training White anthropologists to become shamans themselves…

This study examined the relationships between temperament and ecological context among Yucatec Mayan children based on the assumption that maternal ethnotheories act as mediators and are related to world view. Since the latter is related to ecological context, its transformation may result in variations in ethnotheories and, therefore, temperament…

Compares and analyzes speech samples of Mayan and American mothers addressing their infant children. Results indicate that although higher pitch has been described as a universal feature of baby talk registers worldwide, the Mayan mothers do not utilize this feature. It is suggested that pitch-raising strategies may be sociolinguistically…