So Much To Tell III ... Chich'en Itza

It is no secret that I love learning about different cultures. If I wasn't designing, I would probably be doing something in anthropology or history. That's why when we decided to go to Chich'en Itza, I was happier than a kid on Christmas morning. I LOVED the fact that our tour guide was very informative about the history of the Mayan people and the plight they are facing today. Some on the tour thought he was a little heavy on the details surrounding the Maya but I honestly feel when visiting another country, getting to know the history of the people and the culture is the ultimate form of respect. Here is his lesson in a nutshell:

1) The Maya are a very distinct people that you will easily identify once you see them. Most are no taller than five feet, have high cheek bones and an aquiline nose. Mayan women are master embroiderers and weavers whose work is very distinct and sought after...especially their hammocks. Why would he describe them? Because people have to understand that they ( the Mayan) are the indigenous people of the Yucatan region. Mostly everyone else is a descendant of the Spanish explorers or the intermingling of those Spanish explorers and the Mayan women.

2)The Mayan ruins, whether at Chich'en Itza, Tulum or Cobå really don't have any meaning for modern day Mayans. This is because the temples were used mostly buy the aristocracy and high priests, who kept knowledge (writing, astronomy, etc.) amongst the privileged few. So when a civil war broke out, the everyday farmer, fisherman and weaver had no use for the temples since they did not have any clue to the knowledge it held.

3) The most significant finding among the ruins was the discovery of Mayan Hieroglyphics. The only other evidence of such an advanced form or writing and communication was the Rosetta Stone and thus, Egyptian Hieroglyphics. However, this sophisticated form of communication could only be read by a select few. To make souvenirs for tourists that are very similar to Egyptian cartouches, the Mayan people have to go through rigorous training to be taught the alphabet of their ancestors. ( We bought a calendar print with our anniversary date in Mayan hieroglyphics and the meanings of each symbol. I can't wait to frame it)

4) When the Spanish came to the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula, they found it was easy to colonize the Mayans. Hence, in the middle of small rustic Mayan villages, elaborate Catholic churches were built along with missions to convert these indigenous people. Their gods were lost to them simply because they had no knowledge of any of their own religious rituals and such.

I have to tell you, I really found it hard to believe that the Mayans did not fight for the survival of their culture. There had to be someone who remembered the gods, the rituals, everyday state of being. But I can also understand how a culture could fall unto itself and easily accept (being brainwashed ) what others present to them as truth. It is all too evident in our own varied histories throughout the African diaspora.