Mendoza, kim final report by SMU Engaged Learning

Health, Science, Tradition and the Maya

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Research report presented to Engaged Learning at Southern Methodist University

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By Kimberly Mendoza Dr. Nia Parson, Research Supervisor

Spring 2012

For my family, but especially for the Maya men and women of Guatemala

Acknowledgements:

My inspiration to conduct research over the Maya people began early in my undergraduate career. After taking Health, Healing and Ethics with Dr. Parson, I realized the options in which I could complete research in anthropology. My research and writing were made possible by generous financial support by Southern Methodist Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Engaged Learning Program. In addition, there are a few individuals that I wish to thank, for without their support I do not think my project would have been possible. Dr. Dick and Mrs. Sue Graybill for their advice and offering their home to me while I was in Guatemala. I enjoyed exploring the city, our tales of running errands in town, but most of all our dinner conversations each night. Their recommendations and suggestions provided me with opportunities to further my research and interviews around the country. SMUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Engaged Learning program, including Mrs. Susan Kress and Ms. Meleah Chriss for the preparation and logistical aspects of my research. Their patience and guidance allowed for the completion of my research without any problems! I would like to express my never-ending thanks and gratitude to my extended family, especially those in Guatemala and my grandmother. Each of you taught me a young age the importance of recognizing my past, my history and my people. Because of this, I never felt ashamed of my roots, but was rather very proud of all that we, as a group, have come to accomplish throughout the years. I thank my grandmother and her encouragement to always follow my dreams. My family for their support and help, which prepared me to complete my research abroad. My parents, especially, in trusting and allowing me travel alone with pretty much, just a backpack, across a whole country. And to my brother, with all his humor and his insightful suggestions, I can always count on him to brighten my day. I thank each Guatemalan individual, man, woman and child, as my debt to them is immense. To those who sat with me and shared their life stories, their hopes and fears and allowed me to be a part of their lives, if only for a moment, is something I can never forget. They taught me much over strength, resilience, sadness and courage, but most of all of hope. They have, and always will have, a special place in my heart. Words are not adequate enough to express my appreciation and gratitude for the countless individuals who have helped me along my journey, but most importantly my mentor, Dr. Nia Parson. I am especially grateful to Dr. Parson for her time, patience, support and unwavering dedication towards my project. She answered any questions I had, no matter how simple. I look up to her for her anthropological knowledge, professionalism but most of all for her unending passion towards her work. I am indebted to her and know without her, I would never have been inspired to begin my research, for which I am, and always will be extremely grateful.

Kimberly Mendoza January 1st, 2013

Prologue

My name is Kimberly Mendoza, a senior at Southern Methodist University majoring in Biology, Chemistry and Spanish. As a multilingual individual, I knew I was born with a diverse background: an indígena Maya on my mother’s side, a Mexican on my father’s side, and a proud American-born Texan. Now perhaps the first thought that may come to your mind when you think of the work Maya would be Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto. Perhaps even the ancient ruins in the Yucatan peninsula, such as Tikal. The truth is that there are over 7 million individuals in Central America who identify themselves as indigenous Maya. May of these individuals live in Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras and Mexico. The majority speaks Spanish, but many speak any of the 28 recognized Maya languages. The second thought that is starting to form is, “How exactly did I, a student at SMU, think of my project?” A very good question which leads me to… My grandmother, Angela Caal Hernandez, was an indigenous Maya woman, born and raised in Guatemala. In 2003 she was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme. In other words, inoperable terminal brain cancer and was given just weeks to live. My grandmother came to the United States to receive medical treatment, but soon refused assistance simple because she did not understand it. Furthermore, she held many traditional beliefs that were simply incompatible with medical beliefs here in the United States. The doctors, in the hospital, were lost on how to treat her and how best to help her. Sadly, she passed away right after Christmas, that same year, a couple months after her diagnosis. Her story, gave me the inspiration to study traditional and indigenous medicine to determine where the break down in communication occurs between patient and doctor. Thus, brining me to my Engaged Learning project.

Introduction In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down, Anne Fadiman attempts to explain the obstacles that arise when cultures collide and prevent the effective treatment of an epileptic child. Fadiman begins by describing the differences between the Hmong culture and the views of Western medicine. She further demonstrates this distinction by contrasting the Hmong’s spiritual beliefs with Western culture’s scientific notions, which leads to mistrust, misunderstanding and miscommunications from both parties. In a similar manner, in Vita: Life in a Zone of Social Abandonment, João Biehl introduces regions where the unwanted, the mentally ill, the sick and the homeless are socially forgotten and left to die. Biehl leads a journey to discover the various circumstances that, as a result, land a young woman, Catarina, in the outcast compound of Vita in Brazil. While both these texts were required seem to be different from one another, they are similar in one definitive manner: they pose the question, “What exactly is Anthropology, as well as, what is Health, Healing and Ethics?” Anthropology is the science that deals with the origins, cultural development, physical characteristics, social customs and beliefs of humankind. Thus, medical anthropology as a multi-faceted sub-field of socio cultural anthropology, examines causes, consequences and experiences of health and disease in historical, cultural, political, and economic context and addresses key issues in local and global health. My report will outline the Maya people and culture, history of Guatemala, my Engaged Learning research including: purpose, feasibility, hypotheses, and finally 5 interviews conducted in the Maya community. I will conclude by evaluating the healing modalities that are used by the indigenous Maya and its effect, based on my independent research and knowledge obtained from this current course.

I: The Maya The Maya are defined as individuals a part of the American Indian people of Yucatán and adjacent areas. Constituting approximately 7 million people in southern Mexico and northern Central America, the modern Maya are a diverse group of Native American people. While unified under the umbrella term, “Maya”, there are many distinctive populations, societies and groups that have distinguishing languages, traditions, and identities. While the Maya people still contain many characteristics of their ancient cultural heritage, many have integrated into the Hispanic culture. However, others still follow a traditionally cultural lifestyle speaking the indigenous language. The largest populations are concentrated in Guatemala, Belize as well as portions of Honduras and El Salvador. While Spanish is considered the national language of the countries in which most Maya reside, approximately 6 million Maya people speak one of the 21-29 indigenous languages, recognized officially and formally by both Mexico and Guatemala. While the languages have developed throughout hundreds of years of interactions, they all share basic traits characteristic of the area and have not demonstrated a relationship to any other languages. These attributes, such as grammatical and typological features, set them apart from other Mesoamerican languages. Other essential qualities for indicating spatial relationships refer to the use of relative nouns as opposed to prepositions. Additionally, Maya languages are characterized by ergativity (an ergative-absolute language), in which the “subject of a transitive verb is distinct from the case indicating the subject of an intransitive verb (Dictionary). Geographically the distribution of the Maya languages is found in Mesoamerica, Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, El Salvador and small refugee and

emigrant populations, specifically in the United States and Canada. Each Maya language is concentrated in distinct geographical regions in Guatemala. The Maya people, to identify themselves as a group from other groups, utilize the various languages. Since each language is unique in syntax and grammar, individuals who speak one language may not understand their neighboring groups who speak another. Specifically for my research project I interviewed individuals who spoke Kaqchikel and K’iche’. The brightly colored textile skirts, blouses, dresses and huipiles also identify the Maya people. Similar to languages, each textile pattern is distinct and distinguishes different hometowns and villages. Traditional wear consists of a handmade textile woven skirt made from yarn and a huipile, a loose fitting tunic, or a blouse. Clothing, by its region is also unique. In the ancient Maya culture, both men and women wore hair long as it was considered a punishment to have their hair cut. While men do not follow this practice rigorously, still the majority of Maya women grow their hair long and maintain it in a braided hairstyle on the crown of their head. However, it is not uncommon for a textile scarf or headdress to be worn over the hair. Each headscarf can incorporate patters or other geometric designs and can be intricately woven into the hair. II: History of Guatemala Additionally, the history of Guatemala is an important factor that affects how individuals perceive themselves within their environment, their government and in the future. As background information, in the 1960s Guatemala entered a 36-year civil war marked by violence and abductions. As Linda Green, author of Fear as a Way of Life: Mayan Widows in Rural Guatemala, states “a state-sponsored campaign of violence and repression…destroy[ed] Mayan

communities and culture…many Mayan women lost husbands, sons, and other family members who were brutally murdered or simply “disappeared” (Green Summary). During this time, many individuals fled the country as refugees. It is estimated that 40,000 to 50,000 individuals disappeared and up to 200,000 were killed or missing during the war (CHCCR). Green continues, “Analyses that explain the political violence and repression in Guatemala…based on the well documented wholesale massacres, mutilations, and political murder of unarmed civilians-characterized as genocide against the Mayan people – provide only partial accounts of the intricacies of that violence” (Green 6-7). After over a year of investigation based on testimonies and information from outside sources, a report was published in 1999 by the UN Commission for Historical Clarification entitled, Guatemala: Memory of Silence. The report states approximately 83 percent of the individuals killed were Maya. Furthermore, state forces and other military groups carried out 93 percent of human rights violations. The victims included men, women and children with acts of violence including execution and forced disappearance. III: Engaged Learning Research The history of Guatemala and my personal connection to the country was an integral part of my research. In conducting my research, as opposed to being an outside observer, I was both a part of the culture and a foreigner. As a result, I take into account these observations in my analysis. In the initial phase of my research, I planned to interview 10 individuals, including 5 men and 5 women. However, at the conclusion of my research I had acquired a total of 54 interviews, split between 14 men and 40 women interviewed. Among my list of interviewees were medicine men, spiritual guides, midwives, farmers, housewives and more. Each interview lasted approximately 15 to 20 minutes with some interviews lasting close to 2 hours. The towns in which I conducted my interviews included Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Huehuetenango, San 9"

Marcos, Mazatenango, Cobán y Retalhuleu. My research population included individual from the ages of 16 – 84 with the majority of the interviewees being over 50 years of age. However, due to situational circumstances each individual was only interviewed once. Prior to beginning my investigation, and after much literary research, I decided to conduct a life history and illness narrative of the interviewees. I asked each participant to tell me his/her life history and cultural beliefs. “Conducting a life history interview [would] allow me to see how people conceive of their relationships to the wider society, since, unlike a clinical interview, it is not focused on the details of one’s “condition” but on all the circumstances that have affected one’s life (Angrosino 35-36). The cultural beliefs included and were not limited to those found in stories, fables, myths, traditions and religious notions. In my interviews I asked if the interviewee has had any interactions with the biomedical system, and if so in what ways. With regards to the interactions, I asked if the experience was positive or negative and what experience favored one over the other. Drawing from the explanatory model approach in medical anthropology as proposed by Arthur Kleinmann (Brown and Barrett 290-295), I asked questions to elicit a participant’s belief in medicine and how he/she understands where illness originates. Throughout my interviews, any medical practices that were “home remedies” or remedies and services performed by a healer in the community were also documented. Finally, each interview was audio recorded and photographs of each interviewee were taken with their consent. A: Research Project My research utilized three basic research questions: how do the indigenous Maya in their towns conceptualize illness and disease? Do indigenous Maya people use Western biomedicine? Why?/Why not? And how do indigenous Maya health beliefs and traditions affect their

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interactions with medical doctors and practitioners of Western biomedicine? Prior to the start of my project, I created a series of 30 opened ended questions to be used in the interviews. The questions covered cultural and demographic data such as age, occupation and hometown of the individual. The health based questions referenced to personal experiences with the medical system, home and natural medicinal cures and remedies, any experience with long-term illness and emotions toward illness, disease, and the medical system. Finally, a section of questions were based in knowledge of myths, fables, celebrations, holidays, and familial and cultural values. The set of questions I utilized can be found on page 54. In the various towns that I interviewed I also documented the environment, whether it be located near a city or suburb or reside deep within the forest. For many locations, the architecture and landscape of the area reflected the early colonial age, which contrasted with the apparent increase in modern conveniences. Employing anthropological methods of participant observation, I recorded my observations daily in my field notes. B: Feasibility The feasibility of my research project was focused on Guatemala for various reasons. To begin, I have a personal connection to the country, as my mother was born in Guatemala. Not only have I traveled to the country numerous times over my life, but I am familiar with the landscape, the people and the language. I learned Spanish growing up and therefore have the ability to communicate with others in Guatemala. During times when I interviewed individuals who did not speak Spanish I utilized translators. Additionally, as an undergraduate at SMU, and a Biology, Chemistry and Spanish triple major I have an understanding of the medical system as

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it pertains to in the United States, which helped me in conducting my analysis. Lastly, I have had a family member experience difficulties when encountering Western biomedicine. In Health Care in Maya Guatemala: Confronting Medical Pluralism in a Developing Country, written by Walter Randolph Adams and John P. Hawkins I was particularly drawn to a statement that I used as a pillar of my research, â&#x20AC;&#x153;whenever globalization forces together traditional and Western medical systems, the friction between them generates both partial synthesis and persistent disjunction. The widespread occurrence and the historical intractability of this clash between competing medical cultures have unfortunate implications for the sick who are caught between two worldsâ&#x20AC;? (Adams and Hawkins 3). Within my own personal experience, my grandmother passed away 8 years ago from a glioblastoma multiforme in Dallas. However, my grandmother, an indigenous Maya, held many beliefs on healing that were not like the options presented by doctors and medical professionals here in the United States.

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treatment options such as chemotherapy, radiation and brain surgery were concepts that were unknown to her. While I was too young to remember many of the specific events and clashes that occurred throughout her treatment and with her doctors, I do have a few memories of the time that she spent in treatment prior to her passing. It was this event that gave me the inspiration to pursue this research project. C: Hypotheses For my project, I came up with a series of 4 hypothesis: Health related traditions and beliefs of indigenous Maya are customs that have been passed down through generations, the indigenous Maya conceptualize illness and disease based on stories and beliefs that have been taught by their parents, Western biomedicine is utilized the indigenous Maya but infrequently

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and beliefs and traditions held by the indigenous Maya affect their interactions with medical doctors and practitioners of Western biomedicine in negative ways. Lastly, for my project I also stated project goals that I hoped to accomplish: Conducting research on health-related traditions and beliefs of the indigenous Maya community in Guatemala, record any stories to create a written account, evaluate the concepts of illness and disease within these traditions, evaluate use of Western biomedicine and belief in biomedicine within the various communities, and finally evaluate how indigenous Maya health beliefs and traditions affect their interactions with medical doctors and practitioners of Western biomedicine. D: Interviews â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5 Maya individuals from Guatemala In this report I will evaluate only 5 of the 54 interviews that were conducted. Due to time constraints and manpower, I was unable to translate, transcribe and evaluate all 54 interviews. With regards to the evaluated interviews: each interview was audio recorded and then transcribed into Spanish. After transcribing in Spanish, was I able to analyze the information obtained including all demographic data and separate certain concepts into different categories. Each interview will be designated a number and an alias for identification. Maria (Interview 2): Maria was a 68-year-old Maya woman born in the San AndrĂŠs municipal district. One out of 6 children, she herself only had 4 children. She now resides outside the city of Cuyotenango living with her children and grandchildren. Early in her life she helped her mother in making cheese and other daily products. After marrying she retained her cheese making business on the side but was mainly a housewife. As an indigenous Maya she stated that she did not know the indigenous language because her parents did not teach her. She can understand basic Kaqchikel 13"

words but does not have fluent proficiency in the language. Her parents worked both in the agriculture and owned a few cattle. A Catholic by birth, she still maintains many of the traditions and values her parents observed. The interview initially began with her explaining the various myths and supernatural beings that have been present in her aldea or small village. It begins with a tale of the Llorona, or the wailing woman. According to Maria La Llorona has been seen near the river wailing and crying. Se#dice#que#son#encantos#que#salen#del#agua"(It"is"said"that"she"is"a"spirit"that"comes" out"from"the"water).""She"recalls"when"she"was"young:" There"was"a"small"girl"that"lived"in"the"village."She"was"a"small,"skinny"little"thing." One"morning,"the"little"girl"rushed"home"to"her"grandmother"asking"why"the"woman" by" the" river" cried" so" much." The" grandmother" fearing" for" her" grandchildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s" life" lectured"the"girl"that"she"must"never"speak"to"the"woman"again.""But"the"little"girl" did"not"listen"and"later"that"week"she"went"by"the"river"again."This"time"she"spoke"to" the" woman" and" waved" to" her," but" the" woman" did" not" respond" and" suddenly" disappeared."The"little"girl,"worried,"ran"back"to"her"grandmother"and"told"her"what" had"happened."Later"that"evening,"my"mother"went"over"to"their"house"because"the" little"girl"had"fallen"ill."I"followed"along,"like"always,"as"it"was"the"curiosity"of"those" younger"than"adults."I"saw"her,"she"was"lying"and"she"was"covered"in"these"strange" marks."She"looked"so"small"on"the"bed,"smaller"than"she"normally"did."She"died"that" night."" "

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NMaria,"speaking"over"La#Llorona"

After" relating" to" an" account" when" her" brother" and" his" friend" also" encountered" La" Llorona"she"begins"to"tell"the"story"of"El"Duende.""El"Duende, is a goblin type creature said to be 2 feet tall, wears a large sombrero, and has boots complete with spurs. She mentions that should one see El Duende his/her spirit will be forever lost. El Duende has the power to grant a person his/her fortune, but also has the ability to take it all away, calling the individual towards death itself. Maria has three distinct accounts in which someone she knew encountered El Duende. There was a man once in the village and he was our neighbor. One day he was speaking to my father and I heard him talk about El Duende, saying that if he ever saw him he would speak to him and ask him for his fortune. Well, the man would hear him [El Duende] pass by on horseback at night and see the little man go by. But he did not have the strength or courage to go outside. Apparently, one day he was outside when El Duende passed by. And he said to himself, “Today I will speak to him”. So he saw him, moved closer and kept saying he was going to ask him for money. When, suddenly, the little man with his large Mexican hat…just all Mexican looking, jumped off the horse and turned to stare at him. And he continued to stare at the man. The man wanted to speak to him but in that moment the man’s courage left him. El Duende then spoke first asking, “And you, what do you want?” The man frightened responded, “Nothing, I need nothing.” Since El Duende spoke first the man’s spirit was lost, belonging now to Duende. Had the man had spoken to El Duende first, perhaps the myth is true and his fortune would have been granted to him. El Duende then mounted his horse and left. The man suddenly felt a chilling cold take over his body and he wanted to move but just remained in the same spot, as when El Duende left. When he made it back home to his

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wife he felt ill and began to vomit. By 2 am in the morning he had not stopped vomiting and his wife fearing for him, asked him what was wrong. The man told her go call the neighbor [Maria’s father]…I tagged along because I was curious even though my mother told me to stay with my brother at home. The man was lying on his bed, and looked at my father saying, “I spoke to him, I wanted my fortune but he spoke to me first. I am going to die, I can feel it, it is near”…my mother and his wife began to prepare remedies for him to drink. Herbs and boiling water…but the man worsened…at dawn he died. -Maria, recalling El Duende Each story that Maria recounted was impactful as I was able to see the influence of these supernatural beings within her village and community. Her storytelling voice was mesmerizing and I was captivated as she told each story to me. " As the interview shifted toward the health related questions Maria began speaking over the longest illness/disease she had experienced and elaborated over a physical ailment regarding her leg. Initially, the pain in her leg had was so severe that after seeking treatment, with Western medical doctors, she was told she could not use her leg, for it would only cause more damage. She was resigned to a wheelchair and could only be cured if she received a costly medical procedure. She heard the medical professional tell her that she would later need a prosthetic leg. As she began to cry to the doctor saying how she could never afford the procedure the doctor told her not to worry, as there was a clinic that, using funds from the government, was able to offer medical services at a much lower cost. Maria then explains how she called, went daily to the clinic and even brought small homemade gifts to the director so that her case would not be forgotten. In Maria’s case all the

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hard work she exerted was successful as she received her operation at a fraction of the original cost. Maria then shows me her leg, showing the small incision scars that are left. She cannot help but continue to give thanks for the blessings she received, as she now can walk again. Because of this, positive, experience in interacting with Western medicine she feels her treatment and recovery was effective. The interview concluded with Maria speaking over the traditional celebrations that are still held in the community. She also explained the traditions during the birth of a child and the death of a member in the community. Finally, she spoke over medicinal remedies that are used either by her or other family members. For example: A headache - one can boil Yerba buena (a plant belonging to the mint family) and mix it with Alka Seltzer, or another bicarbonate to drink. Causes of a headache: Stress, being in the sun too much Stomachache â&#x20AC;&#x201C; take a small bit of cheese and lay it into strips onto a cloth and lay it on top of the stomach. This will alleviate the pain. Causes of stomachache â&#x20AC;&#x201C; any parasites in the stomach Gloria (Interview 7) Gloria was a 79-year-old midwife widow working in the village. Gloria has been a midwife for the past 47 years aiding many women and children. The interview began with Gloria recounting events in her childhood and how she arrived at her current occupation. She was one of five children. When she was young, her father passed away and her mother raised her and her siblings. At the age of 9, Gloria first began to work as a domestic servant for a family in town.

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She earned 2 quetzales a month, todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equivalent of 25 cents. She recalls being very happy in her job as she was given food each day and clothes once a month. Her mother would often come to visit her and by the age of 20 she was married. Gloria has a total of 6 children, 2 boys and 4 girls. In her youth, while working she felt usually sick did and was not content in her life. After her mother took her to visit a spiritual guide she was told she was discontent because she was not working in her lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s occupation. After studying with the spiritual guide she learned how to become a midwife and thus, began anew. She now mentions that she has never been happier working as a midwife. She has the opportunity to help bring life in the world and would not change her life for the one she had before. In working as a midwife, she has had a negative experience with Western bio-medicine. Her negatively results in feeling devalued as a midwife and having her treatment regarded as a lesser quality than Western bio-medicine. Gloria explains that in her work as a midwife she has delivered countless children but has never lost a mother during childbirth. However, there have been instances in which an infant has been lost. She documents each child that is born including, gender, weight and lastly any physical defects that he/she may have. The child is then cleaned and wrapped in a blanket for warmth. The birthing room was demonstrated to me during the interview, as she explained its purpose. The room is a small 10 by 8 foot room with a bed that sits in towards one corner of the room. The ceiling has a small lantern, for as Gloria explains a bright light would be too intense and hurt a woman in labor. Finally, in the opposite corner of the bed is a dresser with a stack of white towels and various water pails.

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As a midwife she utilizes medicinal remedies to alleviate stress and pain for the mother undergoing childbirth. However, she also provides services to pregnant women before their child is born. At three months, she begins to give massages and rub the stomach of the woman. At about 6 months, Gloria is able to tell if the woman will have a boy or girl. She bases this information on the placement of the womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belly. If the belly has its apex towards the left the baby will be a boy. However, if the apex is to the right the baby will be a girl. She does comment that there are times when a baby will move, and so what one thought was a boy is born, in fact, a girl. In her time in serving as a midwife she has delivered anywhere from 85-90 children a year. When asked if she has ever delivered a baby in the hospital she says that back many years ago, midwives were permitted to enter the hospital delivery room. However, with new changes in regulation this is now forbidden and so she does not go anymore. Gloria, as a midwife, gives only positive services. To elaborate, Gloria refuses to provide any type of abortion service. As a Christian, Gloria believes that her work as a midwife was given to her to promote well-being and goodness. By performing a service such as abortion, she is committing a grave sin that will taint her soul. When I asked Gloria what the difference was between a brujo and an espiritualista she explained that brujos or brujas are men and women dedicated to performing evil services. These individuals are notorious for their curses that can befall others. For example, if a man dislikes his neighbor, he can see a brujo and send a frog or snake to then inhabit the stomach of his neighbor. As a result, his neighbor will fall terribly ill and presumably die. Espiritualistas, on the other hand, are guides that allow individuals to find their paths in life. These men and women do not commit evil acts and instead work towards providing good towards others.

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Gloria recalls distinct events in which she utilized medicinal remedies to cure her family. The first being when her daughter was in childbirth. She received a call from her son-in-law that her daughter was having difficulties in labor. As Gloria rushed to the hospital she began asking neighbors to find certain items so she could create a remedy. The remedy consisted of the following: an herb that can be found in the forest, a cacao plant, two plantains, a purple onion, and lastly coffee leaves. As she recalls, I arrived at the hospital and scolded by daughter stating, “Why did you wait so long to call me?” If you had called me sooner I would have provided you with help and you would not be in pain right now. But see because your actions, you now look as if you are dying. -Gloria, recalling her daughter’s difficulties during childbirth Gloria began to prepare the remedy, as she calls it, Té de Zacate. After toasting the plantains she blended all items and created a drink for her daughter to drink. She instructed her daughter to drink all the remedy every two hours until finished. Her daughter’s child was born a healthy boy without any difficulty. To this day, because of the medicinal remedy Gloria mentions both her daughter and grandchild were saved. Gloria believes in having faith with her Christian God to help cure any disease or pain that an individual may have. By having faith, she says, one can be cured and alleviated without the need of medicinal remedies. However, there are times when remedies are needed and they depend on the nature of the disease. A few examples that mentioned include: Headache – a tablet of acetaminophen taken along with a drink of prepared with the violent plant and cinnamon. 20"

Cough – one will boil Clavel (type of plant, large and red) with Zacatillo or a flower of the Guangabilia plant. One can also create a paste out of these flowers and rub over the chest to stop the cough High Blood Sugar – Siete negritos (A type of plant) to be boiled each day with water and to drink. Injuries or cuts – one takes Coralillio and using the milk from the plant, drips it over the injury. The milk sanitizes the cut so that infection will not occur. Should infection occur, the individual will begin exhibit signs of a fever and sweat. The milk from Coralillio ensures that the cut will heal nicely and minimizes risks of infection. At the conclusion of my interview, I was given a tour of her home, and shown the outfit she wears for delivering children, and other clothes and objects utilized in childbirth. Vicente and Carmen (Interview 10) My third interview was a husband and wife I met in a village in San Sebastian. They did not know their age but estimated they were between 63-65 years old. Vicente was the second wife of Carmen, as her first husband died. While both individuals were indigenous Maya only Vicente spoke fluently the indigenous language of K’iche’, as well as Spanish, as his wife did not. Carmen begins the interview telling me a bit about her life. When she was a toddler her father, in taking a mistress, abandoned the family. Shortly afterwards, her mother also took a new husband and left the family as well. Because of this she was sent to live with other relatives who did not utilize the indigenous language and spoke only Castilian Spanish. At the age of 7

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she began living with her aunts and her job was to grind corn/maize into cornmeal. Carmen, passionately expressed her dislike for this work. In her teenage years she began to work as a nanny for a family in town. Her job was to take care of the children and supervise them as their parents worked in the fields or in town during the day. She recalls that her job was mediocre, but she much preferred working as a nanny than living with her aunts. As she grew older she continued her work and married her first husband at the age of 15. Carmen has a total of 10 children and has been married to her current (second) husband (Vicente) for 35 or 36 years. All her children but her firstborn were born at home. For each of the births she utilized a midwife to help her during childbirth. During the health related question section, both individuals mentioned never having been plagued with a long-term illness but had experienced short-term severe illness. As explained by Vicente, one of his illnesses was so severe he felt he was going to die. He recalls, Feeling very cold and clammy. I was sweating and ran a terrible fever. I had barely enough strength to take one of the plants in my garden and boil it with water to drink. I used cuarina a small root of a plant that looks like a spice. I tore it from the ground and chopped it into tiny pieces. I then placed it to boil with water and strained the water into a jar to drink. I did not use any type of injections or anything of the sort. After drinking it, I fell on my bed and the fever began to rack my body. I kept telling myself that I was going to die. I called a family member over saying that I was dying. Then, I drank the other half of the remedy and took a shower. Again I felt ill, but using whatever strength was left I drank another jar of the remedy and finally drank the last half. During my illness, I sweat out 5 shirts. This was the illness that was coming out of my bodyâ&#x20AC;Śit was the cuarina that

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cured me. There are many remedies out there that others use, but one must always have faith. -Vicente, recalling a former illness Carmen mentions that the only illness has plagued her so far are feet ulcers. She attributes this to the river where she washes the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing. Because she constantly has her feet wet the ulcer does not heal and causes her pain when she walks. She has seen a doctor and takes some of the medication that is prescribed to her. Carmen and Vincent elaborated much on their traditions and values and commented that stories such as La Llorona and El Duende are not told anymore as some people do not believe in these creatures and so the legend dies out. The interview also touched on questions such as organ donation, and it was Vicente that advised me that these questions should probably not be utilized. Many fear that those asking about organs are secretly looking to steal them. Fernando and Angela (Interviews 16 and 17) Fernando and Angela were my sixteenth and seventeenth interview. I met both individuals in a village in San Sebastian. Fernando was Angelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father and the whole family lived near each other. Angela is 34 years old and has 4 children. Angela states that all her children were born in the hospital by a caesarean. For this reason a midwife could not be used to deliver the child in the home. She and her siblings were also born by caesarean in the hospital. She was pregnant 6 times but lost 2 children in a miscarriage. When she was pregnant with one of her children she fell ill and went to the hospital. The doctor prescribed a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. However, since she was close to going into labor she was unable to feel the labor

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pains that normally indicate the baby being born. As a result, she was unable to give birth and her child died in her womb. Among some of the remedies Angela mentions are: Pain in the hand or foot â&#x20AC;&#x201C; chamomile tea, ginger tea, violet plant with cinnamon boiled with water to drink. One can accompany this with an aspirin or Alka Seltzer Earache, diarrhea, vomiting and stomachache â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one can use chamomile tea as well which calms the stomach and alleviates the pain. There is also a small pink pill that many take. When Angelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son came home she went inside to prepare him lunch but mentioned that her father was nearby and I could interview him. Fernando is a 62 year old farmer and lives near his daughter. At the beginning of the interview when I asked Fernando if he spoke the indigenous language he commented that he did not because his parents did not teach him. He regrets that he was not taught the language and remarked that by not knowing the language he had lost a part of the indigenous culture that is prevalent in Guatemala. Fernando was really passionate about the indigenous people and remarked that one needs to be proud of their heritage because it is a part of his/her identity and one cannot forget. Fernando comments that thanks to God he has never had a serious long-term illness and has been healthy his whole life. He, like his parents, was born not in a hospital, and his mother used a midwife for help during childbirth. He had 7 siblings, 5 of which are only still living. He and his wife had 4 children, all which were born in the hospital by caesarean. However, he does mention various natural remedies that are utilized since many individuals in the community do not see a doctor. For example:

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Fever"–"verbena"(type"of"plant)."One"cuts"and"boils"the"plant"and"can"drink"this"along"

with"an"aspirin"or"acetaminophen."" Stomachache"in"children"–"one"will"drink"verbena"as"a"tea."This"reduces"fever" and"washes"out"the"stomach."" "

Headache"–"one"will"take"a"lemon"and"slice"it"into"pieces."One"will"then"place"it"on"

the"head"using"a"bit"of"ground"coffee"and"tie"it"onto"the"forehead"with"a"strip"of"cloth."" "

Earache"–"one"will"take"a"small"onion"shot"and"cut"it"so"only"the"root"is"left."Take"the"

end," the" point" and" place" it" into" the" ear" and" leave" it" sticking" out." The" pain" will" cease" and" when" the" pain" is" over" one" removes" the" onion." One" must" look" for" an" onion" that" is" the" freshest"not"one"that"is"already"going"bad."If"the"pain"changes"in"intensity,"one"will"just"find" a"new"onion"and"repeat"the"process."" "

Pain"in"the"hand"or"foot"–"does"not"happen"often"

Any" other" cut" or" injury" –" one" will" take" Piñon" (a" plant)" the" milk" that" the" plant" has"

closes"the"wound."If"it"is"a"small"wound"take"a"piece"of"the"plant"and"squeeze"so"a"few"drops" of" the" plant" milk" can" fall" on" the" cut." This" also" prevents" infection" and" alleviates" inflammation."One"can"use"this"if"he/she"has"a"sore"in"the"mouth."Just"take"a"plant"cut"it"and" squeeze"a"bit"of"juice"into"a"jar."Swish"in"mouth"and"spit"out,"repeat"the"procedure"two"or" three"more"times"(in"the"morning"or"in"the"evening)"and"this"will"cure"the"sore."" Fernando"finishes"by"commenting"that"if"one"goes"and"sees"a"doctor"then"financially," it"is"expensive."A"doctor"will"say"you"need"this"type"of"medication"and"it"cost"this"much"and" if"one"does"not"have"the"money"he/she"does"not"get"better."The"natural"remedies"are"much"

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easier"as"one"goes"to"the"field"cuts"a"plant"and"can"use"it"immediately."Fernando"mentions" that" the" plants" and" these" remedies" show" positive" results" and" so" they" are" used." The" interview"concludes"with"Fernando"expressing"his"opinion"on"the"much"of"the"indigenous" culture" being" lost" through" increasing" changes" in" society" and" life." For" political" and" past" reasons" in" history," individuals" do" not" learn" the" indigenous" language" as" much" and" are" encouraged"by"their"teachers"to"only"speak"in"Spanish."He"laments"how"the"culture"is"being" lost.""" Felipe (Interview 53) Felipe was a 38-year-old Maya Spiritual Guide or Maya Priest and my fifty-third interview. Felipe only became a Maya Spiritual Guide later in his life. He mentions that earlier in his life he was plagued by illness and body pain. Regardless of treatment he continued to feel ill and could never seem to recover. When he saw a Maya Spiritual Guide, the guide immediately explained that Felipe was meant to be a Spiritual Guide and because he was not on this path he was always ill. After training for 2 years Felipe was presented with a medicine bag and told, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go, you are now a guide for others, and a healerâ&#x20AC;?. Unlike many Maya Spiritual Guides, Felipe was trained to be a healer and a guide. Thus, as he guides individuals on certain choices and decisions he also provides treatments to the ill. Felipe comments that he has the ability to help any individual that is lost on their path. As a Maya spiritual guide, Felipe, he explained various medicinal remedies that are used to alleviate pain. He comments that many of the remedies are dependent upon the nature of the illness or disease. In other words, what is the root of the illness: stress, infection, fever, etc. Below are some of the remedies mentioned:

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Garlic" –" garlic" is" an" important" plant" that" is" used" for" each" ache." It" can" alleviate" any"

pain"that"is"due"to"changes"in"weather,"which"affect"the"ear"including"other"infections"such" as"otitis."One"can"take"cuarina"and"cut"it"into"tiny"pieces"and"then"run"an"iron"over"it."Then" one"can"utilize"it."" "

Cough" –" there" are" various" remedies" for" coughing." One" remedy" involves" the" use" of"

runner" beans," eucalyptus," lemon" and" cinnamon." One" will" also" add" verbena" and" boil" all" together"with"water."Then"one"will"drink"the"tea"for"approximately"a"week."This"remedy"is" for"an"infectious"case"of"coughing."A"common"cough"that"one"may"have"in"which"there"is"no" infection"would"involve"a"tea"of"Bougainvillea or a tea made from Jacaranda. (Plants found in Central America). One can mix the tea with lemon, sweeten with honey and drink warm. Headache – it the pain is in the front part of the head, it is not a headache but a symptom of a stomachache. One will take Valeriana and this will help the nerve pain. A headache can also be a symptom of a cold, stress, and tiredness, so the most practical remedy would be Valeriana tea. If" the" headache" is" due" to" an" infection" one" will" take" a" variety" of" plants" along" with" amoxicillin." One" will" mix" Valeriana# (which" treats" the" nerves)," Sambucus (saúco) (restores balance in the brain), tobacco (used as a stimulant), Artemisia absinthium (wormwood) or Myrtle and this creates the remedy. This remedy causes the patient to sweat and release the illness. Stomachache – This can be due to an alimentation issue, irritation, colic or cramps. Each situation requires a different remedy. The common remedies include pain in the stomach due to food not sitting well or pain in the right side. The most complex would be an infection in the appendix or appendicitis. If the ache is due to colic then one would use a pharmaceutical pill. Natural medicine including Valeriana or Sambucus or Pericón treats the ache. Additionally, each

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remedy is accompanied by chiropractic massages, otherwise the patient does not feel better. Normal treatment is anywhere from 5-7 days. Injury or cuts – This depends on the profoundness of the injury. If the injury is not deep then it can be treated. One will take the milk from a plant and place it on the cut. This will cause the cut to seal and eliminate infection. One can use cuarina or an onion because they contain a natural healing agent. First one needs to wash the injured site for infection not to occur. Additionally, there are other forces at work such as the moon cycle. If it is a new moon the cut will take a while for the bleeding to stop. If this were the case one would need to treat the bleeding first. Profound injuries – If the injury is very profound it will be treated in another manner, usually involving the need to stitch the wound together. One will disinfect the injured site and take a combination of 5 varied plants to wash the injured site well. One will take both sides of the cut and place a bit of mushroom dust to dry the wound. Only then can one stitch the wound. Body or Joint Pain – Valeriana will stimulate the body combined with Milto or lechubia. Additionally, warm baths or steam will be used in place of medicinal plants. " Felipe explained that as a spiritual guide his occupation entailed not only serving his hometown community but communities in other districts. Felipe elaborated also on his duties of aiding midwives during childbirth. Prior to the birth of the child, Felipe sets his medicine bag on the altar and sends a prayer up for the child to be delivered safely. Once the child is born and after the midwife has washed the baby, Felipe looks at the child and determines his/her life’s occupation. Children have a determined occupation that is based on the date of their birth. This occupation would allow the individual to 28"

make a living and be happy in the job. Felipe states that individuals that are not in their life’s true occupation are dissatisfied and unhappy. The child is then presented to the community after twenty days. If the child is a boy, hens are ritually killed. If the child is a girl, then roosters are ritually killed. During the presentation, the child is bestowed his/her life’s occupation. The umbilical cord is then buried with the items that will guide the child. As Felipe explains, “If the child is to be a doctor, medicinal plants will be buried. Should the child be a musician a marimba will be hung above the crib. These presentations remind the community of the past, the future, sadness and joy. After the twenty days the mother is allowed to return to her job with the blessings of the community. Finally, he discussed his own experience with being ill and how he identified himself as a sick individual and how he found relief. Felipe has had major digestive pain throughout his life and with the support of his friend a nurse in a hospital has found some relief. He was not able to find relief within the uses of Western bio-medicine and therefore does not have a positive experience. Felipe’s experience with bio-medicine has mainly been negative. He has been sick and the doctors he has visited have not been able to help and cure him. Due to these reasons Felipe does not have much confidence with Western medical professionals. Felipe mentions that there are many instances in which Western bio-medicine clashes with traditional healing. For example, Hot and cold remedies and sweating in the tuj…are seen as methods to restore the natural balance. Because childbearing and child rearing are culturally defined acts requiring ritual cleansing and heat treatment that only the tuj can provide, even the best of drugs and services supplied by Western biomedicine are considered inappropriate treatments and are thus rejected. Infant mortality remains high because Western medical behavior 29"

intended to protect the body from illness does not make sense when applied to the traditional Nahualense definition of disease. (Adams and Hawkins 70-71) Felipe mentions that in moments such as childbirth, in indigenous practice the womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body is heated but in Western bio-medicine this is not the case. These major differences can be detrimental for the patient. The remaining of the interview covered other essential information such as traditions, customs, life experiences, belief on the origin of illness and disease and lastly, the Maya religion. As a Maya Priest Felipe also discussed from his perception how interactions with traditional medicine and Western bio-medicine have clashed and what can be done to repair these relationships. Mary (Interview 55) The final interview that was a part of my project was my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Although, I did not include my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interview in the general data obtained from my research in Guatemala. I still interviewed her based on her life and illness narrative. My mother served as a key influence in my understanding of the Maya people, my culture and upbringing. Her life story begins in a small village in the south of Guatemala. She was born in 1961, the 5th child out of 14 siblings. The daughter of agricultural farmers, her parents (my grandparents) raised cattle and sesame seeds for exportation to the United States. Currently, only my mother and 5 of her siblings are living. My mother lost many of her siblings to disease, witchcraft and the civil war (los desaparecidos). At the young age of 9 she left her family and moved in with her godparents, in the city. My mother recalls that once when she was young, her and her father went and visited a spiritual guide. She remembers,

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I remember meeting the man. He was an older gentleman and he took my hand and then looked at my father. He stared at my father and then finally said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You must let her go, she will one day ask you to leave and you must obey. Do not hold her back for she is meant to go places and if you keep her with you she, will never accomplish what she is meant to do. She will leave for the North and it will be a while before she returns. -My mother recalling her visit with an espiritualista As my mother remembers, shortly after moving in with her godparents she boarded her first plane and landed in Canada. She recalls disliking Canada for the cold and being unable to speak French (after a while she did learn to French). After living in Canada she moved to the United States, it would be over 7 years before she could return to her family in Guatemala. Upon moving to the United States, my mother met my father. 25 years and two kids later my mother reflects on the majority of her life. I remember being young and living with my family, but I also remember wanting to go out there. I could never stand being cooped up and this was the reason I decided to move in with my godparents. They were such loving people, unable to have children of their own, they spoiled me rotten. But it was not enough, they were friends with a few businessmen from the North (United States) and all I could think about was wanting to see what it was like. Of course my godparents tried to persuade me against this but I was not to be deterred. I wanted to see the world. Of course I loved my family, and I remember going to see my mother and father telling them that I was finally leaving for El Norte. You must remember that times were different then and my mother pleaded with me to not leave, but I assured her that I would be okay. She said to me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are so

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young, what do you want to go to the United States for?” and I told her, “Mother, I am going to make money and I will send it back to you, but please give me your blessing so I can go”. She loved me, my mother, she did, and I cannot imagine the suffering and pain she must have felt, knowing that I her daughter, only 16 years old was leaving on her own for El Norte. I then went and saw my father, after receiving my mother’s blessing, and he was upset. He told me, “If you leave do not come back. If you leave I do not want to see you back in less than 6 months. Go but I do not understand why you want to go. You are young and others will notice you are young with no family near you but if this is what you want, go”. It would be more than 6 years before I once again saw my parents’ faces. By the time I returned, I was a different person. I could not relate to my siblings, because I had gone out and seen the world. - A brief narrative from my mother My mother recalls various trials and tribulations as she lived in Canada and later the United States. She comments that at times she experienced misfortune, however it served as motivation to drive her forward. As a result, her returns exceeded her loss. My mother has never been seriously ill for an extended period of time but has had shortterm illness. Recognizing that she is a part of two distinct cultures my mother looks to find a balance. The first and only time my mother has had clashes with Western bio-medicine regarded my grandmother’s cancer treatment here in Dallas. This experience was negative and affects her to this day. My mother also believes that past life experiences affect present treatment. It is also important to note that from her perspective a medical professional must not only achieve compliance from a patient to undergo surgery but that the patient must understand post-

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operational treatment and therapy. Thus, treatment and services always be explained in detail to a patient. However, there are still many medicinal remedies that my mother utilizes. For example, Headache â&#x20AC;&#x201C; chamomile tea Stomachache â&#x20AC;&#x201C; boil sesame seeds with water and one can drink this tea to settle the stomach. Additionally, one will take a cold rag and place salt inside and fold the rag over to place over the stomach. The salt will draw heat always from the stomach, in effect, alleviating the pain. There are other remedies that my mother utilizes but they have been combined with other traditional healings due to her time in living in different countries. Finally, my mother explains various cultural values that she still holds and raised both my brother and I. Due to her Maya upbringing there were familial values that were emphasized, however, because she also lived with a Jewish family in the United States for many years, may aspects of Judaism are also incorporated. Additionally, my mother and her family are Catholic and Christian values are also blended into our household. Fluent in English and Spanish, my mother does not speak the indigenous Maya language, because she moved in with her godparents at the age of 9. Her godparents did not speak the indigenous language, as their parents were Spanish born. My mother concluded the interview on a positive note reflecting on her past and looking towards her future. IV: Evaluation Throughout Anthropology and Medicine, there were various key literature articles that I came across that provided to be valuable to my research. To begin, Body and Emotion, written

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by Robert R. Desjarlais, speaks over susto or spiritual loss in the Nepal Himalayas. While Nepal and Guatemala are geographically far apart, many of the aspects of spiritual fright are common in susto. Like Dejarlais, understanding the root and origin of spiritual loss, gives the observer a greater understanding of beliefs. From a medical standpoint, understanding spiritual loss, allows a medical professional to provide treatment for a patient that will incorporate both Western healing and indigenous practices. Like the Nepalese, Maya people believe in the healing of both body and mind for a patient to feel better. One cannot solely treat the body and expect the individual to exhibit signs of a full recovery. In my interviews, I did come across individuals who expressed that they knew of someone personally, or their family did that experienced susto, however, even after Western medical professionals treated the patient, he/she was never the same. The body could still be plagued by seizures and while medication would alleviate the intensity and frequency of the seizures one could tell that their spirit or essence was missing. Secondly, in Curandero: A life in Mexico Folk Healing the author recounts living in a rural Mexican American community. For the author, traditional medicine was a part of his family life. Healing involved the use of herbal remedies, massage, prayers, dancing, songs, chants and incorporating aspects of indigenous culture with Roman Catholic prayers and old Arabic practices. The author states that modern-day curanderos may receive powers from powerful healers who have passed away. When I interviewed the Maya priests and spiritual guides, this was a common theme mentioned. Past family members continue to exert influence in the lives of their offspring. To draw upon this energy one needs to focus on their ancestors, recalling their past, their lives, their strength and ask to be granted courage to accomplish your task.

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Finally, what I felt was also emphasized in many interviews was that curanderismo treats afflictions using a holistic approach, including the physical, the mind, and the spirit. Interviewees commented that while healing involves use of herbs and rituals to cure ailments, healing goes past traditional Western medicine. The patient is provided a sense of personal, individualized attention, as well as kindness, and caring. The strong sense of community allows for a patient to obtain a full recovery. Many traditional remedies can be passed down through generations and themes of ailments such as susto (fright), mal de ojo (the evil eye), caĂda de mollera (fallen fontanelle), empacho (stomach blockages), and mal aire (which can be compared to flu-like symptoms) were also mentioned. In Disease Etiologies in Non-Western Medical Systems, I found themes common in my interviews. While Personalistic and Naturalistic systems of diseases are no longer utilized as much there were pieces in which I found present in the Maya community. For example, personalistic systems attribute illness to special case of misfortune. While, naturalistic systems attribute it to another case of misfortune. Religion is also intimately tied to illness in personalistic systems but not in naturalistic (Brown and Barrett 110). In my research, many interviewees remarked on the need of the patient to have faith in the healer to recover. There were also instances in which an individual remarked that the illness might have fallen on him/her for reasons of misfortune. It may or may not have been within their control. As one can see these systems though not still used, contain many important aspects relating to my interviews. Finally, overall and as a generalized summary disease was attributed to a few reasons: misfortune, contamination/sanitation or witchcraft. For those that believed disease was a cause of

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misfortune this was due to an action the patient completed that then resulted in a negative effect or the action was completed by a family member and the patient was feeling the repercussions. Individuals who attributed contamination as a reason for disease acknowledged that pollutants in the air, water and earth now contaminate much of the country. Individuals who do not have financial recourses to sanitize food or living spaces contract diseases. Lastly, few individuals attributed disease as being caused by witchcraft. However, those that did mentioned witchcraft can be sent as an act of revenge to another individual and until the “evil” is removed the patient cannot recover. In conclusion, the healing modalities that I observed were deeply rooted in tradition and family. The various medicinal remedies that I documented varied in the cause of the illness and its severity. What was interesting to note was the variation in the preparation of healing remedies depending on the location of the interview. My interviews were conducted in 4 distinct regions: the North Petén, the Southern coastal area, the mountainous highlands, and the tropical lowlands. Each interview was unique based on the people and language spoken. While many would utilize the same plant the preparation methods were different. Others would use a plant in conjunction with another that individuals in another region would not. The one theme that stood out clearly was the need for Western bio-medicine to work together with indigenous healing methods. The two systems, at times radically different, do not help the patient but cause more harm. Interviewees stressed the need for physicians to see them as patients not as objects, to understand their reasoning for refusal of treatment and explain other options better. Many felt uncomfortable by the inability to communicate well with the medical professions. The question, “What ails you and what do you believe is the cause or reason for your ailment?” instead of “What hurts and on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad?” needs to be asked.

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V: Conclusion During the month of July 2012 I conducted research on health-related traditions, beliefs and practices in an indigenous Maya community in Guatemala. The basis of my research asked, “What is illness? And how is it treated?” Curanderos, comadronas, and guías espirituales gave me a glimpse into a culture that has persevered for centuries. During the weeks I spent researching medicinal remedies of the indigenous Maya, I met individuals who were proud of their heritage and eager to teach me many of their customs, traditional remedies, folktales and indigenous languages such as Kaqchikel and K’iche’. I also, learned to interact with individuals who held customs at times contrasting with my own. In Guatemala I was reminded of the history of my ancestors and experienced a culture that was at the same time a part of me and new to me. Having a personal experience in which my grandmother had difficulty accepting end-of-life Western medical treatment mirrored the experiences of interviewees I met. It became critical to me that the interactions I witnessed between medical professionals and the indigenous populations were recorded, as they served a purpose of improving communication to ensure effective medical treatment. My study allowed me to connect with rich customs that are integral components of the culture, and to understand the emotional turbulence the indigenous population faces in medical practice at moments as emotionally fundamental as birth and death. The cultural clashes between Western medical treatment and indigenous treatment are an important theme I wish to evaluate further. The ability to conduct cross-cultural research is essential to studying indigenous populations, investigating the centrality of meaning in health, illness, and non-biomedical healing methods. Healing modalities such as Maya priests and spiritual guides have an impact on

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the promotion of medicina casera, natural medicine. In addition to the Maya, many indigenous populations continue to rely on these methods of healing, and as a result, continue to pass down specific remedies to their children in spite of growing modernization in a country. My research, although brief, provided valuable concepts and information that I hope to continue in my post-graduate studies.

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References

Adams, Walter Randolph, and John P. Hawkins. Health Care in Maya Guatemala. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007. Print. Angrosino, Michael V. Doing Cultural Anthropology. Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press Inc., 2007. Print. Biehl, Jo達o Guilherme. Vita: Life in a Zone of Social Abandonment. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. Brown, Peter J., and Ron Barrett. Understanding and Applying Medical Anthropology. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print. Desjarlais, Robert R. Body and Emotion. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992. Print. Ergativity." Dictionary.com. 2012. http://www.dictionary.com (21 November 2012) Fadiman, Anne. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, And The Collision Of Two Cultures. New York : Noonday Press, 1998. Print. Fernandes, Luci Latina . "Curandero: A Life in Mexico Folk Healing." Curandero: A Life in Mexico Folk Healing. 20. (2006): 262-263. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Green, Linda. Fear as a Way of Life. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Print. "Tz'inil Na'tab'al." Tz'inil Na'tab'al. n. page. Print. <http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/report/english/toc.html>.

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Photographs

Photograph 1: Maria, my second interview in a aldea outside Cuyotenango, Suchitepequez

Photograph 2: Gloria, my seventh interview in a aldea in the Suchitepequez district.

Photograph 3: Carmen, my tenth interview in a aldea in San Sebastian, Retalhuleu.

Photograph 4: Fernando, my seventeenth interview in a aldea in San Sebastian, Retalhuleu.

Photograph 5: Felipe, my fifty-third interview in a Quetzaltenango.

Project Proposal

A Dichotomy Between Science and Tradition – Project Proposal Introduction: In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down, Anne Fadiman attempts to explain the obstacles that arise when cultures collide and prevent the effective treatment of an epileptic child. Fadiman begins by describing the differences between the Hmong culture and the views of Western medicine. She further demonstrates this distinction by contrasting the Hmong’s spiritual beliefs with Western culture’s scientific notions, which leads to mistrust, misunderstanding and miscommunications from both parties. In a similar manner, in Vita: Life in a Zone of Social Abandonment, João Biehl introduces regions where the unwanted, the mentally ill, the sick and the homeless are socially forgotten and left to die. Biehl leads a journey to discover the various circumstances that, as a result, land a young woman, Catarina, in the outcast compound of Vita in Brazil. While both these texts were required readings for Health, Healing and Ethics: Cross Cultural Perspectives on Sickness and Society (ANTH 3301) and while they seem to be different from one another, they are similar in one definitive manner: they pose the question, “What exactly is Anthropology, as well as, what is Health, Healing and Ethics?” Anthropology is the science that deals with the origins, cultural development, physical characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind. The course description for Health, Healing and Ethics states this class was designed to engage students with key theoretical frameworks, research and analyses in medical anthropology to examine the multiple forces that interrelate with health situations as well as the ways people think about and act upon their own health and illness. Upon reading this course description, I became enthralled by learning what exactly Medical Anthropology is and how it could benefit me in my chosen career. Background information: In 1960, Guatemala entered a 36-year civil war marked by violence and abductions. During this time, many individuals fled the country as refugees. In the chaos of these years, many oral traditions and stories passed down from generation to generation were lost. As a result, Guatemalan individuals who would have grown up listening to these stories and learning these traditions did not learn and so have no knowledge of their own values and cultural beliefs. Proposal: I propose a project wherein I will evaluate an indigenous population in Guatemala and record their oral traditions, cultural beliefs and values. Many of these stories are of great importance in the culture and provide accounts of their ancestors and their way of life. My project will document these stories and create a written record of them. Additionally, I will document beliefs regarding medicine and medical treatment, including home remedies and practices. Furthermore, as in the situation in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, I will evaluate how these values and beliefs at times clash with Western medicine. Evaluating the differences, such as outlook and belief on the sick and death will allow me to devise a method with which a physician or medical professional would be able to treat a patient unfamiliar with Western medical practices and treatment.

A Dichotomy Between Science and Tradition – Project Proposal Timeline: From July 1st, 2012 to July 31st, 2012 I will be conducting my research in Guatemala. This whole month of July will give me time to collect my interviews, document interactions with individuals and prepare my data for analysis. Upon returning in August, I will continue the analysis portion of the research. Methods: I will interview a total of 10 individuals, including 5 men and 5 women in the towns of Samayac, Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Panajachel, Huehuetenango, Mazatenango and Asintal. The research population will include people who identify as Maya, who are ages 50 and older. Each individual will be interviewed a total of 2 times. I will conduct life history and illness narrative interviews. I will ask each participant to tell me his/her life history and cultural beliefs. These cultural beliefs can include and are not limited to those found in stories, fables, myths, traditions and religious notions. Additionally, in my interview I will ask if he/she has had any interactions with the biomedical system, and if so in what ways. Drawing from the explanatory model approach in medical anthropology, as proposed by Arthur Kleinman (Brown, Barrett, Padilla, and Finley 291-295)1 I will ask questions to elicit the participant’s belief in medicine and how he/she understands where illness originates. Any medical practices that are “home remedies” or performed by a healer in their community will also be documented. In these towns, the architecture and landscape of the area reflects a time period of the early colonial age and so while living in the 21st century, I will also document the interactions of daily life by employing anthropological methods of participant observation. I will record my observations daily in my field notes. Feasibility: I have chosen the country of Guatemala to conduct my research for various reasons. To begin, I have a personal connection to the country as my mother was born in Guatemala. Not only have I traveled to the country numerous times over my life but I am also familiar with the landscape, the people and the language. I learned Spanish growing up and therefore have the ability to communicate with others in Guatemala. While I may be interviewing individuals who perhaps do not speak Spanish I do have a few family members that can act as translators from the native dialect to Spanish and I can translate the information obtained from Spanish to English. In the event that my family does not speak the particular native dialect, I am aware of a few translators that could also act as interpreters for me. As an undergraduate at SMU, and a Biology, Chemistry and Spanish triple major I have an understanding of the medical system as it pertains to in the United States, which will help me in conducting my analysis. Additionally, my family has found me an individual who will act as my transportation and guide. Lastly, I have had a family member experience difficulties when encountering Western biomedicine. My grandmother passed away 8 years ago from a glioblastoma multiforme here in Dallas. However, my grandmother was of Mayan descent and held many beliefs on healing that were not like the options presented by doctors here in the United States. Many treatment options such as chemotherapy, radiation and brain surgery were concepts that were unknown to her. While I was """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 1"Brown, P.J., Ronald Barrett, Mark Padilla, and Erin Finley. Understanding and applying medical anthropology. 2. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. 291-295" 2"

A Dichotomy Between Science and Tradition – Project Proposal too young to remember many of these events and clashes that occurred throughout her treatment and with her doctors, I do have a few memories of the time that she spent in treatment prior to her death. It was this event that gave me the inspiration to pursue a project such as the one outlined in this proposal. Project Goals: • • • • • •

Conduct research on health-related traditions and beliefs of the indigenous Maya community in Guatemala, specifically in the towns of Samayac, Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Panajachel, Huehuetenango and Asintal. Record these stories to create a written account. Evaluate the concepts of illness and disease within these traditions. Evaluate use of Western biomedicine and belief in biomedicine within this community. Evaluate how indigenous Maya health beliefs and traditions affect their interactions with medical doctors and practitioners of Western biomedicine. Create a procedure or brochure to aid in the cross-cultural interactions between individuals unfamiliar with Western medicine and medical professionals unfamiliar with other healing beliefs and practices.

Research Questions: •

• • •

What are the health related traditions and beliefs of indigenous Maya in Guatemala, specifically in the towns of Samayac, Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Panajachel, Huehuetenango and Asintal? How do the indigenous Maya in these towns conceptualize illness and disease? Do these indigenous Maya use Western biomedicine? Why?/Why not? How do indigenous Maya health beliefs and traditions affect their interactions with medical doctors and practitioners of Western biomedicine?

Hypothesis: • • • •

Health related traditions and beliefs of indigenous Maya are customs that have been passed down through generations. The indigenous Maya conceptualize illness and disease based on stories and beliefs that have been taught by their parents. Western biomedicine is utilized the indigenous Maya but infrequently. Beliefs and traditions held by the indigenous Maya affect their interactions with medical doctors and practitioners of Western biomedicine in negative ways.

Analysis: After gathering all my interviews and other interactions I will input the data into Atlas TI, a qualitative data analysis software. I will be able to take notes and code the data for further evaluation. From here I will be able to evaluate similarities or differences in the interviews conducted and stories recorded. After evaluating each interview I will create a written account of 3"

A Dichotomy Between Science and Tradition – Project Proposal the oral traditions and cultural beliefs I have obtained. These traditions and beliefs will then allow me to devise a general overview of illness and medicine from the indigenous perspective. Conclusion: After completing the analysis portion of my project, I will outline a method or create a booklet that a medical doctor or practitioner familiar with Western medicine would be able to approach an individual with different cultural and background beliefs to present prospective medical treatments. Lastly, in addition to presenting my work in the spring’s Engaged Learning Forum, I plan on giving a presentation over my research to the Anthropology department or UT Southwestern’s Global Health Symposium.

Health, Science, Tradition and the Maya – Project Application

Project Goals • • • • • •

Research Plan (What work I plan to do): I will interview a total of 10 individuals, including 5 men and 5 women in the towns of Samayac, Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Panajachel, Huehuetenango, Mazatenango and Asintal. The research population will include people who identify as Maya, who are ages 50 and older. Each individual will be interviewed a total of 2 times. I will conduct life history and illness narrative interviews. I will ask each participant to tell me his/her life history and cultural beliefs. These cultural beliefs can include and are not limited to those found in stories, fables, myths, traditions and religious notions. Additionally, in my interview I will ask if he/she has had any interactions with the biomedical system, and if so in what ways. Drawing from the explanatory model approach in medical anthropology, as proposed by Arthur Kleinman (Brown, Barrett, Padilla, and Finley 291-295)1 I will ask questions to elicit the participant’s belief in medicine and how he/she understands where illness originates. Any medical practices that are “home remedies” or performed by a healer in their community will also be documented. In these towns, the architecture and landscape of the area reflects a time perio1d of the early colonial age and so while living in the 21st century, I will also document the interactions of daily life by employing anthropological methods of participant observation. I will record my observations daily in my field notes. How do I plan to interact with the organization that will host me? As I have family members that will actually be hosting my visit I will rely on their knowledge of the community and the individuals that they know to conduct my interviews. My family members will provide me room and board. Additionally, they have found me an individual who will provide me transportation and act as my guide. I plan on interacting with my family members as well as el Museo Internacional de Arqueología y Etnología de Guatemala by asking for help in the translation of many colloquial words that are common in the area, but not directly translatable to English.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 1

"Brown, P.J., Ronald Barrett, Mark Padilla, and Erin Finley. Understanding and applying medical anthropology. 2. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. 291-295 1"

Health, Science, Tradition and the Maya â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Project Application

What will be my mentorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role? My mentor will act as a guide in the field of anthropology. As a medical anthropologist, Dr. Parson has provided me with literature to begin to plan out my interview questions and methods of asking these questions. My mentor will assist me in analyzing my data in a specific manner. Furthermore, her role will only be to supervise me in my project, and while I will be conducting all the research and working through the project on my own she will oversee my process and ensure that I am on the right track with my work. I will remain in contact with her throughout the process. What classroom knowledge or skills will I apply to my project? I have taken Health, Healing and Ethics which is an anthropology course that focuses specifically on anthropology and medicine. This class provided me with insight into the difficulties encountered when individuals of different cultural healing beliefs interact with Western medicine. Additionally, since I will be residing in a Spanish speaking country I will be utilizing my Spanish language skills. I also am a biology and chemistry major, which provides me familiarity with the Western medical system. This will help in my analysis of the differences I will encounter in my research project. Being a science major I have scientific knowledge of the origin of disease and how it affects the human body. In hearing perhaps different accounts regarding the origin of disease I will be able to evaluate these differences as well. Lastly, I have taken Warfare and Violence, another anthropology class here at SMU and since the Guatemalan Civil war was and continues to be a defining moment in the history of the county the class I have taken has prepared me in evaluating how this war has affected individuals. Whether the individuals I will interview in Guatemala had family members in the Civil War or fled as refugees to other countries, that class provided me with deeper knowledge of war, its causes and its effects on individuals, which I can apply to my research. What do you hope to learn from being engaged in this activity? I hope that throughout this experience I can learn a little more about my own culture and the traditions and beliefs that were lost when my mother fled Guatemala during the civil war. However, I also want to gain deeper knowledge about how different cultural beliefs and traditions influence medical treatment. While the United States is a country of diverse populations there are individuals who, when treated for a medical condition, at times do not understand exactly what is going on. It is my hope that I can learn why these individuals do not choose to understand Western treatment and devise a method for which treatment can work for them. Additionally, I hope that I can learn more about interacting with the indigenous population of Guatemala and their dialect/native language. What challenges might I encounter during my project? Certain challenges that I may encounter can be individuals uncomfortable or unwilling to share certain traditions and beliefs with me. To these individuals I am an outsider and while I have family that is still considered indigenous I have grown up in a society far away from these cultural beliefs. Another challenge I can potentially face is a language barrier. While I do speak

Health, Science, Tradition and the Maya â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Project Application

Spanish I am not familiar with the indigenous languages that also exist in the country. I have family members that do speak the language but I myself was not taught due to the conflicts of the civil war. There exists a possibility that I will need a translator to translate the indigenous account into Spanish for me (if you have someone who will do this for me if needed, then state that here). Lastly, a final challenge that I could encounter would be the inability to actually interview a total of 5 men and 5 women throughout my project. To solve this, I could possibly interview more or less of each sex. Depending on the cultural and family situations that exist there may be certain roles that either men or women will be more familiar with and so may interview either the men or women more, according to how my research progresses. Why am I interested in doing an Unbridled Learning Project? One of the primary reasons I am interested in completing an Unbridled Learning Project is because I have a personal connection with the project. Approximately 8 years ago my grandmother passed away from a glioblastoma multiforme here in Dallas. However, my grandmother was of Mayan descent and held many beliefs on healing that were not like the options presented by doctors here in the United States. Chemotherapy was a concept that was unknown to her as was staying in the hospital. While I was too young to remember many of these events and clashes that occurred throughout her treatment and with her doctors, I do have a few memories of the time that she spent in treatment prior to her death. It was this event that gave me the inspiration to pursue a project such as the one outlined in this proposal. Additionally, I have always been inspired by the cultural traditions and beliefs that my ancestors held and lament that I was never able to learn the indigenous language or cultural traditions since my mother fled the country during the Civil War. Lastly, in the future I would like to work with Doctors without Borders and by completing this project I will gain an understanding of the perspective of medical treatment beliefs in a different country, which will serve to aid me in my future goal. !

Engaged"Learning" This"script"will"be"read"to"the"potential"subject"" " Health,(Science,(Tradition(and(the(Maya( Verbal(Consent(Script( ( Buenas"tardes,"mi"nombre"es"Kimberly"Mendoza"y"soy"un"estudiante"en"la"Universidad" Metodista"del"Sur"en"Dallas,"Texas.""Estoy"involucrada"en"un"estudio"departe"de"la" universidad.""Este"estudio"se"llama"Salud,"Ciencia,"Tradición"de"los"Mayas"y"va"evaluar"las" tradiciones,"cultura,"perspectiva"de"las"enfermedades"y"su"origen"de"la"población"indígena."" Ha"sido"seleccionado(a)"para"la"investigación"porque"es"de"descendencia"indígena,"es"de" una"edad"de"cincuenta"años"o"mayor"y"me"pueda"explicar"un"poco"de"tus"tradiciones"y"vida" cotidiana.""" Propósito:" Te"estoy"pidiendo"tu"participación"en"esta"investigación"para"poder"conocer"un"poco"más" de"la"religión,"cultura,"tradiciones"y"interacciones"con"la"medicina"de"la"población"indígena." Esta"investigación"va"servir"para"notar"algunos"problemas"que"usted"ha"enfrentado"o"algún" miembro"familiar"en"recibir"tratamientos"médicos.""Esta"información"me"puede"ayudar" averiguar"las"dificultades"que"muchos"enfrentan"al"recibir"ayuda"medica."Esta"investigación" va"tomar"lugar"durante"el"mes"de"julio"de"2012." En"esta"estudio"te"voy"a"entrevistar"y"cada"entrevista"va"tomar"una"o"dos"horas.""Si"un"día"no" se"termina"la"entrevista"yo"puedo"regresar"para"continuar,"en"un"tiempo"conveniente"para" usted.""Sin"embargo,"si"durante"la"entrevista"no"quieres"continuar"no"hay"problema.""Si"una" parte"de"la"entrevista"le"molesta,"no"tenemos"que"continuar"y"podemos"movernos"a"otro" tema."Durante"la"entrevista"yo"te"voy"a"preguntar"unas"preguntas"básicas"incluyendo"tu" nombre,"tu"edad,"tu"pueblo"natal,"y"si"puede"hablar"el"idioma"indígena"maya.""El"resto"de" mis"preguntas"solamente"van"a"servir"como"una"guía"para"elaborar"alguna"parte"de"tu" narración,"pero"me"puedes"decir"todo"lo"que"tu"quieras.""La"entrevista"va"servir"para"que" me"puede"hablar"y"explicar"libremente"sin"restricción"de"tu"cultura"y"tradiciones.""Por" ejemplo,"cuales"son"tus"días"festivos,"que"religión"practica,"que"valores"tiene"y"que"mitos"de" cuentos"reconoce.""Durante"una"parte"de"la"entrevista"te"voy"a"preguntar"si"ha"recibido" tratamiento"medica"por"una"enfermedad"en"el"pasado,"y"que"experiencia"ha"tenido."" También"te"voy"a"preguntar"que"piensa"de"las"enfermedades"y"de"donde"vienen."" Finalmente,"te"voy"a"preguntar"si"ha"tenido"algunas"problemas"recibiendo"tratamientos" medicas.""" La"investigación"será"gratis"y"no"tiene"ningún"costo"de"tu"parte."Adicionalmente,"como"una" prueba"de"mi"agradecimiento"de"tu"participación"en"este"estudio"te"voy"a"entregar"un" regalito"pequeño"que"quizás"en"ese"momento"necesita.""Por"ejemplo,"si"eres"una"costurera"y"

necesita"tijeras"te"compraré"un"par.""Por"ejemplo,"si"eres"un"agricultor,"al"final"de"la" entrevista"voy"a"comprar"un"poco"de"tu"producto.""Por"ejemplo,"si"eres"una"ama"de"casa"te" voy"a"comprar"unos"platos"o"algo"pequeño"que"necesitas"para"tu"hogar.""Estos"regalitos"son" mi"agradecimiento"por"tu"entrevista"y"tiempo.""Si"no"quiere"hacer"la"entrevista"no"te"voy"a" obligar"a"que"me"la"des.""" Con"tu"permiso"la"entrevista"va"ser"grabada,"también"te"voy"a"preguntar"si"pudo"tomar"unas" fotos"de"ti"o"tu"alrededor.""Si"no"quiere"que"tome"fotografía"pero"quiere"participar"en"la" entrevista"no"hay"problema."" Las"entrevistas"van"a"ser"grabadas"para"que"puedo"continuar"el"estudio"después"de"la" entrevista."También"con"la"entrevista,"yo"voy"a"notar"el"nombre"de"la"ciudad"donde"la" entrevista"toma"lugar,"tu"nombre,"el"nombre"de"tu"pueblo"natal"y"tu"edad."Cada"entrevista"y" su"información"va"ser"guardada"en"una"computadora"para"el"estudio.""Cada"entrevista"y"su" información"va"ser"usada"solamente"para"un"propósito"educativo"y"va"ser"guardada"por"tres" años"y"después"va"ser"borrada.""Solamente"mi"profesor,"Nia"Parson,"y"yo"va"tener"acceso"a" estas"entrevistas"y"la"información"para"el"estudio.""Las"entrevistas"y"la"información"no"va" ser"regalada,"entregada"o"vendida"a"otra"organización."Finalmente,"en"el"estudio"tu"nombre" no"va"ser"mencionada/divulgada,"y"te"voy"a"dar"un"numero"para"documentar"tu"entrevista," pero"si"quieres"que"mencione"tu"nombre"lo"puedo"hacer."Por"ejemplo,"si"eres"la"segunda" persona"que"voy"a"entrevistar"de"voy"a"dar"el"numero"dos"como"tu"identificación"en"el" estudio.""La"información"va"ser"guardada"con"mucho"cuidado"para"asegurar"su" confidencialidad.""Si"los"resultados"al"fin"del"estudio"van"a"ser"publicados"tu"nombre"no"será" usada,"pero"si"quieres"que"mencione"tu"nombre"lo"puedo"hacer." Tu"participación"es"voluntaria.""Podrá"decidir"declinar"y"dejar"de"participar"en"cualquier" momento,"y"si"elige"esta"opción"no"hay"ninguna"consecuencia"negativa."" ¿Tendrá"tiempo"para"participar"en"mi"estudio?"Quiere"participar"en"este"momento"o"en"otro" momento"en"el"futuro?"" En"contestando"estas"preguntas"que"te"voy"a"preguntar,"significa"que"has"querido"participar" en"este"estudio.""¿Tiene"algunas"preguntas"para"mi?" Si"tiene"una"pregunta"o"una"preocupación"sobre"o"durante"este"estudio"puede"contactar" Kyle"Roberts"en"el"International"Review"Board"en"la"Universidad"Metodista"del"Sur,","(214)" 768b4494." "

Verbal Informed Consent

Kimberly Mendoza

Rev. 05/10/2012

Hello,&my&name&is&Kimberly&Mendoza&and&I&am&a&student&at&Southern&Methodist& University&located&in&Dallas,&Texas.&I&am&involved&in&a&research&study&on&behalf&of& Engaged&Learning.&&In&this&study,&Health,&Science,&Tradition&and&the&Maya,&I&will& evaluate&the&traditions,&culture,&religion&and&perspective&of&illness&and&its&origins& from&the&indigenous&Maya.&&You&have&been&selected&for&the&study&because&you&are&of& Mayan&descent,&of&the&age&of&50&years&old&or&older&and&you&are&able&to&give&me&a&bit& of&insight&into&your&culture&and&daily&life.&& & Purpose:& & I&am&asking&for&your&participation&in&this&research&so&that&I&am&able&to&learn&more& over&the&culture,&traditions&and&religion&of&the&indigenous&Maya.&&Additionally,&I&am& interested&in&learning&about&the&interactions&that&you&may&have&experienced&with& the&medical&community,&whether&in&receiving&treatment&for&yourself&or&for&another& family&member.&This&information&will&allow&me&to&analyze&the&difficulties&that&are& faced&when&individuals&of&different&cultural&backgrounds&are&confronted&with& Western&Medical&treatment.&&This&research&project&will&take&place&during&the&month& of&July&2012.&&& This&investigation&will&use&interview&questions&to&obtain&information.&Each& interview&will&last&approximately&2&to&3&hours.&&If&an&interview&is&not&finished&all&in& one&day&I&can&return&for&a&second&or&third&time&at&your&convenience.&&During&the& interview&you&are&able&to&speak&and&narrate&freely&regarding&your&traditions&and& beliefs&that&you&hold.&&If&during&the&interview&you&feel&uncomfortable&or&uneasy&we& can&stop&and&move&to&a&different&subject.&However,&during&the&interview&I&may& interject&at&certain&moments&to&have&you&elaborate&on&a&certain&topic.&&At&the& beginning&of&the&interview&I&will&ask&if&you&speak&a&native&indigenous&language&and&if& you&use&it&in&your&daily&life.&&Other&questions&I&will&ask&include,&you&name,&your&age,& your&birthplace,&your&religion&practiced,&any&values&you&hold,&cultural&stories,&and& festive&holidays&that&you&celebrate.&During&the&interview&I&will&also&ask&if&you&have,& personally,&in&the&past,&received&any&medical&treatment&for&a&disease&or&illness.&&I&will& also&ask&if&you&have&experienced&any&difficulties&or&problems&when&receiving& treatment.&&Lastly,&one&of&my&interview&questions&will&ask&you&to&explain&where&you& personally&believe&illness&and&disease&originates&from.&& This&research&project&is&cost&free.&&&At&the&end&of&the&project&as&a&token&of&my& appreciation&I&will&give&you&a&small&gift&of&an&object&or&service&that&you&may&require.&& For&example,&if&you&are&a&seamstress&and&you&need&a&pair&of&scissors&I&will&thank&you& for&your&2&or&3&hours&of&interview&time&by&buying&you&a&pair.&&However,&I&will&in&no& way&use&the&small&token&as&a&coercive&means&for&you&to&participate&in&the&interview.&& With&your&permission&the&interview&will&be&recorded.&&Also,&I&will&ask&your& permission&to&take&any&photographs&of&either&you&or&the&surroundings.&&If&you&do&not&

wish&to&have&any&photographs&taken&but&would&like&to&participate&in&the&interview& that&is&not&a&problem.&& Each&interview&will&be&recorded&so&that&after&the&interview&I&can&continue&the& analysis.&&With&each&interview,&other&information&that&will&be&created&will&include& your&name,&the&interview&location,&the&name&of&your&birthplace&and&your&age.&&Each& interview&will&be&stored&on&disks&and&on&a&computer.&&Your&interview&and& information&collected&will&be&kept&confidential&with&only&my&professor,&Nia&Parson,& and&myself&who&will&have&access&to&it.&&Your&interview&and&information&collected&will& not&be&given&or&sold&to&any&organization&without&receiving&your&consent&first.&&Finally& in&the&analysis&your&name&will&not&be&mentioned&and&you&will&receive&a&specific& reference&number.&&For&example,&if&you&are&the&second&person&I&will&interview&I&will& designate&the&number&two&for&you.&&The&information&that&will&be&obtained&in&this& research&project&will&be&safely&stored&to&ensure&your&confidentiality.&&Lastly,&if&the& results&should&be&published&your&name&will&not&be&used.&&Each&interview&will&be& stored&for&three&years&after&the&research&project&has&been&completed&and&then&they& will&be&erased.&&& Your&participation&is&completely&voluntary.&&You&are&able&to&decline&and&stop&your& participation&at&any&time&during&the&research.&&If&you&decide&to&stop&there&are&no& negative&consequences.&& Do&you&have&time&and&agree&to&participate&in&my&study?&Would&you&like&to& participate&in&my&study&now&or&at&a&later&time?&& By&answering&the&above&questions&you&have&agreed&and&consented&to&participate&in& my&study.&Do&you&have&any&questions&or&concerns&for&me?& Should&you&have&any&questions&or&concerns&over&or&during&the&research&you&may& contact&Kyle&Roberts&in&the&International&Review&Board&at&Southern&Methodist& University&at&214Z768Z4494.& &

Verbal Informed Consent

Kimberly Mendoza

Rev. 05/10/2012

May$16,$2012$ $

Open$Ended$Questions$ $

Cultura' 1. ¿Dónde$naciste?$ 2. ¿En$que$año$naciste?$ 3. ¿De$dónde$es$tu$familia?$ 4. ¿Qué$es$tu$ocupación?$ a. ¿Qué$ocupación$tuvieron$tus$padres?$ b. ¿Cuál$era$lo$que$tus$padres$les$gustara?$ 5. ¿Qué$religión$tienes?$ a. ¿Qué$religión$tenía$tus$padres?$ 6. ¿Fuiste$a$la$escuela?$ a. Por$que$si$o$porque$no$ 7. ¿Mandaste$a$tus$hijos$a$la$escuela?$ 8. ¿Estas$casada?$ a. ¿Te$casaste$por$la$iglesia?$ b. ¿Te$casaste$en$una$celebración$cultural?$ 9. ¿Cuántos$hijos$tiene?$

May$16,$2012$

a. ¿Cuántos$hermanos/hermanas$tuviste?$

Salud' 10.

¿Tiene$algún$problema$con$tu$salud?$

11.

¿Alguna$vez$ha$visitado$un$doctor?$ a. ¿Por$qué?$

12.

¿Ha$tenido$una$enfermedad$o$dolor$por$mucho$tiempo?$$ a. ¿Qué$tipo?$ b. ¿Se$pudo$aliviar?$ i. Porque$si$o$no$

13.

¿Hay$alguien$en$tu$familia$que$ha$tenido$una$enfermedad$o$

dolor$larga?$ a. ¿Se$pudo$aliviar?$ i. ¿Porque$si$o$no?$ 1. ¿Se$uso$medicina$casera/natural/elemental$o$vio$ un$doctor?$ 14.

¿Cuál$ha$sido$su$peor$enfermedad?$

15.

¿A$dónde$va$a$buscar$ayuda$cuando$no$se$siente$bien$

físicamente?$ 2$

May$16,$2012$

a. Servicios$de$salud$ b. Figuras$religiosas$ c. Curandera/os$ d. Familiares$ e. Remedios$naturales$como$té$o$hierba$ 16.

¿Qué$piensa$de$donde$viene$las$enfermedades?$ a. ¿Qué$son$sus$causas$o$origen?$ i. Alguna$maldad$ ii. Brujería$ iii. Suciedad$

17.

¿Cuáles$emociones$experimenta$cuando$va$al$doctor?$ a. ¿Te$preocupa$ir$al$doctor?$ b. ¿Nerviosa?$ c. ¿Penosa?$ d. ¿Contenta?$

18.

¿Has$tenido$una$experiencia$negativa$alguna$vez$en$ir$al$

doctor?$ a. Si,$sí$porque…$

May$16,$2012$

i. ¿Fue$porque$no$te$alivio$o$no$te$sentiste$mejor?$ ii. Si,$no$te$aliviaste$¿regresaste$al$mismo$médico?$ 19.

¿Qué$son$unos$remedios$para$las$enfermedades?/$¿Qué$

hierbas$que$se$usan$más$para$aliviar$dolores?$ a. Dolor$de$oído$ b. Tos$ c. Dolor$de$cabeza$ d. Dolor$de$estomago$ e. $Heridas$ f. Dolor$de$una$mano$o$un$pie$ g. Para$un$bebe$ h. Otros$dolores$ 20.

¿Qué$se$hace$cuando$alguien$muere?$ a. ¿Qué$son$unas$tradiciones$que$se$tiene$que$cumplir?$

21.

¿Qué$se$hace$cuando$alguien$nace?$ a. ¿Nacen$en$casa$o$en$hospital?$ i. ¿Si$en$casa$se$usa$una$comadrona?$

22.

¿Qué$experiencia$haz$tenido$con$tratamientos$médicos?$

May$16,$2012$

a. Positiva$ b. Negativa$ 23.

¿Prefieres$ir$a$un$medico$cuando$se$enferma?$ a. ¿O$Primero$usas$remedios$caseras/naturales/elementales?$

24.

¿Hay$unos$remedios/curas$que$tus$padres$o$abuelos$usaron$

que$ya$no$usas?$$ a. ¿Por$qué?$ $

Extra' 25.

¿Qué$son$unos$cuentos$que$conoce$desde$tu$niñez?$ a. ¿Me$podrás$decir$unos$cuentos?$ b. ¿Quiénes$te$contaron$estos$cuentos?$ c. ¿Por$qué$piensas$que$ellos$te$habían$contado$estos$cuentos?$ d. ¿Les$haz$contado$a$tus$hijos$o$nietos$estos$cuentos?$

26.

¿Qué$son$unos$valores$que$tiene?$ a. Valores$de$familia…$ i. Respetar$los$mayores$ b. Valores$de$cultura…$

May$16,$2012$

i. El$inicio$de$preservar$la$cultura…$ 27.

¿Qué$son$unos$días$festivos?$ a. Día$de$los$muertos$ b. Navidad$ c. Adorando$un$santo$ d. Etc.$

28.

¿Qué$se$hace$durante$estos$días$festivos?$

29.

¿Qué$comida$preparan$durante$los$días$festivos?$ a. ¿Qué$se$cocina?$

30.

¿Qué$decoraciones/celebraciones$se$hace?$

Individuals Interviewed

1"A"–"woman" 1B"+"woman" 2"–"woman" 3"–"woman" 4"–"woman"and"man" 5"–"woman" 6"–"woman" 7"–"woman" 8"–"woman" 9"–"woman" 10"–"woman" 11"–"woman" 12"–"woman" 13"–"woman" 14"–"man" 15"–"woman" 16"–"woman" 17"–"man" 18"–"woman" 19"–"woman" 20"–"woman" 21"–"woman" 22"–"woman"" 23"–"Man" 24"–"man" 25"–"girl"(child)" 26"+"Woman"

27"–"girl"(child)" 28"–"woman" 29"–"man"and"son" 30"–"girl" 31"–"woman" 32"–"man" 33"–"boy" 34"–"woman" 35"–"girl" 36"–"woman" 37"–"woman" 38"–"boy"(translator)" 39"+"woman" 40"–"man" 41"–"woman" 42"–"woman" 43"–"woman" 44"–"man" 45"–"woman" 46"–"woman" 47"–"woman" 48"–"woman" 49"–"woman" 50"–"woman" 51"–"woman" 52"–"woman" 53"–"man"(Maya"Priest)"

54""+"man"spiritual"guide" " " " "

Blogs www.whispersintheforest.wordpress.com

Hello, My name is… | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:42 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Hello, My name is… Posted on July 17, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza Today, I woke up bright and early at 6am. I fixed my backpack for the day, ate a lovely breakfast, drank my orange juice and was ready to meet my translator to begin interviewing individuals in the area. The village of Chisec has dirt roads and the foest surrounds the village on each side. The houses are made of metal sheets layered on top of a wooden frame with ropes holding them in place. It is a very interesting village that I am in, the town will be bustling with people but the minute they see a foreigner, everyone runs into their houses. The village will then resemble a ghost town and the occasional dog will cross the street. If you listen closely you can hear a murmur of voices from families inside the houses. Luckily for me, my translator speaks fluent K’iche’ and is well received in the village. Thus, I am able to begin interviewing as he translates for me, explaining my project to my interviewee. It is now 12:30 pm in the afternoon and I have been interviewing the residents of Chisec for over 4 hours. I have been learning so much about the residents, their lives, and culture. Since I am in a different regional area of Guatemala I am able to see distinct differences in their culture and traditions. Of course the differences in the language is distinct but there are some words that are the same in K’iche’ and Kaqchikel. As it is now lunch time, the students in the nearby school are excitedly walking home and running to play with their friends. There is a saying that states “Everyone smiles in the same language.” While I am interviewing, the children find me very amusing and often come up, shyly, to stare at me. When I turn to smile at them, a huge grin comes across their face and they giggle and giggle. While I may not be able to communicate directly with the children, just knowing that I can bring a smile to their face makes me realize how true the old saying is and I could not be more happy. Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Tags: Engaged Learning, Guatemala, Kimberly, SMU | Leave a comment

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Indiana Jones and El Volcán de Agua | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:42 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Indiana Jones and El Volcán de Agua Posted on July 18, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza Guatemala is home to numerous volcanoes that are found throughout the countryside, each different from the other. While some are dormant, others are known to be active and can erupt rocks, lava, water or fire from its peak. Today, I decided to be brave and climb up the Volcano of Water. Yes, I know it does not sound, as terrifying as the Volcano of Fire, but in my mind a volcano is a volcano, no matter what comes out during the eruption. The Volcano of Water is neighbors with the Volcano of Fire and is somewhat active. If you are in the city of Antigua off in the distance you can see it in the distance, its peak masked by fog and clouds. As I had been hiking in Taos, New Mexico just last month I figured that climbing a volcano should not that hard…that is until I fell in a hole…Yep that is right a rather large hole. Okay, let me assure you that I did not break any bones and let me back up to explain how I came to fall in the hole. During the rainy season in Guatemala, it can rain every afternoon and thus, the runoff water will travel down into the towns of San Pedro and Antigua, located at the bottom of the valley. This can turn disastrous as the water will accumulate and flood the towns. As a result, there are various “holes” that have been dug out to help alleviate the runoff water from the top of the hills and volcanoes. As you can imagine, while I was on my hike up the Volcano I turned around to take a picture of the landscape, stepped back and fell into one of the holes. I am very glad that I was not hurt but I was more surprised because once inside I actually saw how deep the holes were. I stand approximately 5 feet 3 inches and so I am shorter than majority of the population. When I was standing in the hole, the edge came up to just below my neck. I must admit it was a bit difficult getting out of the hole since there was nothing along the edges to hold on to. Nevertheless, I made it safely out and made sure as I climbed up the volcano carefully such that another accident would not occur. Along my journey I would encounter horses carrying firewood and other supplies down into down. The hike is so steep and narrow that no cars can make the trek up the mountain only horses, mules and the occasional motorbike. Pretending I was Indiana Jones, sans hat and whip, exploring the dangerous Volcano that could erupt at any moment made my journey very entertaining. It seems that having accomplished hiking up the Volcano of Water only leaves me to climb its partner…El Volcán de Fuego

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Indiana Jones and El Volcán de Agua | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:42 PM

(http://whispersintheforest.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/img_1609.jpg) Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Tags: Engaged Learning, Guatemala, Kimberly, SMU | Leave a comment

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Exploring Galore | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:43 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Exploring Galore Posted on July 20, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza While conducting my research in Guatemala I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet various individuals also actively involved in the country. From academics, to professors and medical professionals I have learned so much about the country. Each individual that I have met also has a deep connection with Guatemala. While some medical professionals have been to Guatemala since the late 1960s others have only recently come to complete mission trips in villages.

(http://whispersintheforest.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/img_17581.jpg) Additionally, just today I had the opportunity to visit the Universidad del Valle. At the University, I was able to conduct research in the Department of Anthropology. The University has such a beautiful campus and there are approximately 3000 students on campus. The various careers that one can pursue range from engineering, to science, to business. Finally, there have been students from the United States that have come to complete fellowships at the Universidad del Valle. I had such a great time exploring the campus and the library. Lastly, I also had the opportunity to visit El Centro de Estudios Folkl贸ricos in Guatemala City. The center was built to document and preserve the culture and ethnography of Guatemala. The individuals in the center were so friendly and eager to help me with my research. I was able to peruse many books and literature texts over ethnomedicine. What was also very exciting to explore were the http://whispersintheforest.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/exploring-galore/

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Exploring Galore | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:43 PM

various artifacts that were on display in the library room. Many of the artifacts were from preColumbian eras. All in all, today was such a productive day that I could not have asked for much more! Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Tags: Engaged Learning, Guatemala, Kimberly, SMU | Leave a comment

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Sailors Ahoy! | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:44 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Sailors Ahoy! Posted on July 23, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza Since arriving in Guatemala, I never cease to be amazed by the amount of rain that falls on a daily basis. While the morning will have clear skies, as the afternoon rolls around, what was once a bright sunny day turns into a torrent of rain. Soon the streets are filled with small rivers and one can barely see a few feet in front of them. The rain falls on a regular timed schedule and as a result, many individuals begin to work early in the day. Just today when I was conducting interviews storm clouds began to move in, turning the sky various shades of dark grey. Luckily for me, I planned accordingly and wore my rain boots as a precaution. Once my interviews finished I needed to travel back to the main road. Navigating through the rainforest on my way back, to me, seemed like trekking through a small hurricane. The rain and wind whipped my hair around my face and lightning streaked through the sky. As thunder pounded, the river nearby began to flood the small street I was walking on. What once began as a puddle of rain to walk through soon turned into a river with water up to my knees. I was glad that the trees with their large leaves gave some shelter from the rain. I felt as if I should have brought a small canoe to make it back to the main road. I look back now and think that it was a difficult trek through the rain but had I not done it I would not have met some amazing people to interview deep within the forest. Once the rain calmed down I was able to do some splashing, singing and dancing in the rain. “Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain” – Author Unknown Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Leave a comment

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Mangos, bananas and oranges, Oh my! | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:45 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Mangos, bananas and oranges, Oh my! Posted on August 2, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza The past couple days have been amazing as I have begun interviewing various individuals over health remedies and their perspectives on illness. I have had the opportunity to learn much about the culture and tradition of the land. In interviewing individuals I have journeyed to interview individuals who live deep within the forest. Backpacking through the rainforest is actually not all that bad. It provides great exercise and there is so much beauty to see! Each and everyday that I am conduct my interviews I stand mesmerized by the nature that surrounds me. The trees and birds are just breathtaking. At times when I interview individuals at the base of a mountain, I always hear how higher up the mountains quetzals soar and jaguars roam. Just today I saw a hummingbird that was sipping nectar from a bouquet of flowers near the stream. It flitted past me rapidly and returned to the flower again. The bird was so small it could have fit in the palm of my hand! Its feathers were a vibrant red and orange. Additionally, the trees and plants are a lush green and there are fruit plants all around. I have seen banana trees, mango trees, lemons, limes and orange trees. One merely has to pick the fruit off the tree and voila a snack! The only downside is that there are so many mosquitoes! These pesky little insects will be my downfall. At night one can hear the sounds of the rainforest and the nocturnal mammals. Last night, I was studying and all of the sudden a little black animal flitted in through the open window. At first I thought it was a bird, but the animal was flying in an awkward manner that after close inspection I realized it was not a bird but a bat! Luckily, after I opened the window wider, it managed to fly out into the dark. And so, as I sit here reflecting on my day, I am anxious for morning to come and a new day to begin! Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Tags: Engaged Learning, Guatemala, Kimberly, SMU | Leave a comment

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Spirits, Ghosts and Goblins | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:45 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Spirits, Ghosts and Goblins Posted on August 3, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza It is interesting to note that as I have been conducting my interviews the belief in the supernatural is present. From spirits and ghosts and goblins, to name a few, the creatures of the dark, to many, still exist. By being deep into the rainforest, I can understand why the things that go bump in the night would scare a person. During the daytime, the sunlight brightens the forest and the birds happily sing and chirp. It closely resembles a scene pulled directly from a Disney Fairytale. Lovely, beautiful and carefree one can forget the worries of the world. However, once the early evening arrives, the clouds and rain blanket the sky and the sunlight disappears. As it darkens into night one realizes how truly dark the surrounding area is. Unlike a large city, there are no floodlights that illuminate the town. There are no lights that illuminate the highway or walkways around the village either. The only light that can be seen is the light hidden inside houses, as families gather together for dinner.

(http://whispersintheforest.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/img_1824.jpg)Now when I say darkness sets in, I mean around 7:00 pm it is already pitch black. Looking up to the sky you can see stars, as small specks of light to help orient you. What one would think resembles 2 am in the morning is only 9pm at night. Thus, the trees and forest life can look very ominous and every sound whether it be a scratch or howl sounds terrifying, especially when you cannot pinpoint where the noise originates. The wind whispers through the night and the things that go bump in the night are told in stories to keep children safe inside. Since the stories are effective in keeping children away from wandering the http://whispersintheforest.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/spirits-ghosts-and-goblins/

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Spirits, Ghosts and Goblins | Whispers in the Forest

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town at night, the stories are passed down and told to each generation. Almost every individual I have interviewed recounts a story of where they or they personally know an individual that has encountered the supernatural creatures of myth. Thus, each encounter strengthens the story and it is continuously told. After hearing a few ghost stories myself I want to remain inside as well!

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El Sombrerón | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:46 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

El Sombrerón Posted on August 7, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza He is said to be a small man, barely 3 feet tall. He wears cowboy boots of the most expensive leather and a large sombrero on his head. Each night he goes into the field and if he encounters a horse with a beautiful mane, he braids the hair intricately. Women who have long flowing hair are also susceptible to attracting the attention of El Duende or El Sombrerón. It is rumored that should one speak to the man he will kidnap you and steal you away in the night. Should he steal you away you will be lost for eternity in the unknown. In my previous post I spoke over the creatures of myth that I have heard stories. While I personally, have not encountered any supernatural creature, as of now, the individuals who I have met and interviewed account tales where such creatures have come to the village where they lived. Each story that is recounted to me is unique in its own way because each experience is different. While some individuals have encountered creatures as children others have been susceptible to seeing the paranormal as adults. Some accounts are terrifying while others are funny. What I have learned is that these entities are to be feared and respected. Throughout my research in Guatemala I have traveled through rivers and walked through the rainforest sometimes as night falls upon me. It is my hope that after hearing these stories of things that go bump in the night, that I never encounter such mystic beings! Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Tags: Engaged Learning, Guatemala, Kimberly, SMU | Leave a comment

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True to Oneself | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:46 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

True to Oneself Posted on August 20, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza As of now, I have interviewed many individuals that have impacted me in ways unimaginable. However, one of the interviews to date has impacted me the most has been my interview with a Mayan Priest or Mayan Spiritual Guide. Throughout my time interviewing, I have been amazed at the beauty of the Mayan culture. The individuals I have met have welcomed me and treated me with such respect that I cannot help but feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to conduct my research here. I met Fernando*, the Mayan Spiritual Guide through a contact that I established in the country. After speaking to him over the phone we established a day and time where we could meet. Thus, I arrived early one Friday morning in the city of Chimaltenango. After taking the bus for 3 hours, I jumped off the and arrived our designated meeting place. I was sitting at the table alone with my thoughts when all of the sudden, he walked into the restaurant, wearing a traditional textile jacket and carrying a backpack. Upon beginning to interview him, I was enthralled by his life story and all he had to share with me. Early in his life he was not a Mayan Priest but after going through many trials and tribulations he realized that he was unhappy because he was not following his true path. Thus, he realized he was destined to be a Spiritual Guide and in choosing this path he comments his life was forever changed. When he graduated and finished his Shaman education, he was handed a bag filled with his tools and he began to work and fulfill his lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. Fernando, continued by explaining to me the intricacy that is the Mayan culture. With this I learned more about the Mayan calendar and the various traditions and ceremonies that occur when individuals are born. It was interesting to note that while I was learning about the beliefs and traditions of the indigenous Mayans, I was also learning more about myself. Additionally, since I was researching medicinal plants and their remedies, he explained to me various plants and herbs that are used to treat a variety of diseases and illness. What I found so fascinating, was that each herb had a specific property and usage and it depends on the origin of the illness whether it is a physical manifestation, or a mental manifestation, for the plant to be used. Towards the end of my interview he invited me to attend a Mayan convention that trains Mayan spiritual guides and priests, with an emphasis of medicinine. Unfortunately, I would be traveling back to the United States but Fernando assured me that there are indeed female Mayan Spiritual http://whispersintheforest.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/true-to-oneself/

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True to Oneself | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:46 PM

Guides and should I be interested in returning to visit and experience the Mayan training school for Guides and Priests I was always welcome. Overall, I found this interview to be one of the best that I had conducted and there was one moment that I felt I would carry this advice with me for the rest of my life. Fernando told me that the greatest thing I can do, if I choose to continue to pursue a medical career, is to always remember to listen to the patients. For it is with listening that I learn more about the patient and thus am better equipped to help him/her. With listening I can understand differences, in perhaps, cultural perspectives that otherwise without would allow for conflicts to build. Lastly, I was told to never forget my past, or my culture. I should always honor, be proud and respect my ancestors and the land of my forefathers. For without a past I cannot move forward to complete my lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams and goals.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The future is no place for a person with an incomplete pastâ&#x20AC;?

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True to Oneself | Whispers in the Forest

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Stork Delivery | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:47 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Stork Delivery Posted on August 22, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza In one of my interviews I had the amazing opportunity to meet a midwife or comadrona. While in Guatemala, there are many individuals who chose to have their children in the hospital, there are others who rely on home births and use a midwife. I never thought that I would have a chance to meet a midwife but when I did I was so glad I was able to interview her! Maria*, has been a midwife for over 40 years and in that time has delivered thousands of children. She estimates that she delivers approximately 300-400 children a year from all around the district. Early in her life she chose to work in a different profession when she realized that she was unhappy with her occupation and felt that she was on the wrong career path. After speaking with a Spiritual Guide, she was told that she was not on her true lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career. Thus, upon following the advice of the Spiritual Guide she studied under a Medicine Man and became his apprentice for a year. After completing her training she was granted her certification to practice as a midwife. However, from there she attended nursing school in Guatemala City to receive her certification from the country. Now equipped with her certification from the Government health officials, as well as, the Medicine Man, she was prepared to begin aiding women and their children. Maria, will see women throughout various stages in their pregnancy and also aids them during the birthing process. Throughout my interview I was amazed to see how passionate she is about her work as women from all across the community will come to see her. I could see in her expression how proud she is to have a job where she helps deliver a life into the world. She tells me that the miracle of seeing a baby take its first breath and cry is one of the greatest moments in life. Seeing the first interaction with the mom and her child makes her happy she chose her path to be a midwife. While Maria, is very proud and she comments blessed to never have lost a mother in childbirth, she laments that the same cannot be said for some children. The sad moments in my interview came when she recalls the very few times that a baby passed away in childbirth. While these times are few, she regrets that not every mother could have the opportunity to hold her child. Although, I as the interviewer, must stay professional in my interviews I will admit to you now that I was sad hearing how not all children survive in childbirth. I could visibly see how Maria was affected by these instances. However, she knows that there are many other lives she has delivered and brought joy to many families.

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Stork Delivery | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:47 PM

I was also allowed into the birthing room to see the layout of the room and observe as Maria explained to me her duties. From baby blankets to her nurses outfit, I learned much over home births and how grueling the process can be. Afterwards I was taken to the washroom as she, in detail, explained to me the traditions and customs one must complete after a baby is born. Overall, my interview with Maria went excellent and I am so glad I was able to meet her. She offered so much information to me that I could not thank her enough for. At the end of the interview I saw a child run up to greet her and with a smile on her face Maria told me she helped deliver him into the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From small beginnings come great thingsâ&#x20AC;?

(http://whispersintheforest.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120822-115447.jpg) *Name changed to respect privacy of interviewed individual

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Mayan Religion and My Nawal | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:47 PM

Whispers in the Forest Kimberly's Travel Adventures

Mayan Religion and My Nawal Posted on December 27, 2012 by Kimberly Mendoza So apparently I wrote this blog originally on my Engaged Learning trip but I realized that it never published. But it is never too late to publish so here it is and I hope you enjoy it! —————————————————————————————————————– Today, I had a second opportunity to interview yet another Mayan Spiritual Guide. In this interview I met an individual who had much to share not only about his profession but offer advice to me and my career path. When I first arrived at the meeting place where I was to meet Marco*, I was amazed to see that he brought me two exotic red Heliconias. Upon giving me the flowers, he mentioned that in his Mayan beliefs it is customary to always bring a gift to new strangers. I was so happy and excited to receive flowers when I was least expecting it. The flowers were beautiful with red and gold colors streaking through them. Marco is a Mayan Spiritual Guide in the district of Retalhuleu, Guatemala and he began the interview by giving me a bit of his life’s story on how he arrived to his current profession. Just like my previous interview with the first Mayan Spiritual Guide, I was fascinated by the trials and tribulations he passed before he realized that he was meant to be a Spiritual Guide. For Marco, though, there was a different training he underwent to receive his medicine bag and practice. It took him approximately 2 years to finish his training and with this he traveled the country visiting ancient Mayan ruins and meeting people all throughout the country. Marco is very talented as he speaks approximately 5 languages including: Spanish, Kaqchikel, K’iche’, Mam, and a bit of English. The best part of the interview that surprised me was when Marco mentioned that his wife studied years ago in the University of New Mexico and this is where he learned English! I could not believe this as only a few weeks ago I was studying in Taos, New Mexico. But back to the interview: I learned yet again, another set of medicinal plants that are used to treat illness. What I really liked about the interview was that I learned much more over the rules that govern a child’s dictated profession based on the day he/she is born. I was curious myself to see if I perhaps was following my current profession or if maybe there was another path destined for me. As I sat with Marco I waited patiently as we traced back the Mayan calendar arriving back to the day of my birth. Then I was anxiously thinking to myself, What if I was on the wrong career path? What if my http://whispersintheforest.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/mayan-religion-and-my-nawal/

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Mayan Religion and My Nawal | Whispers in the Forest

4/6/13 3:47 PM

path in life is to be an accountant or a politician? I mean no disrespect to either profession but I felt that such a path was not for me. Then what is my calling that would allow me to be content in life? I was jerked from my thoughts when Marco began to explain my character personalities and began leading up to my profession: Headstrong, Intelligent, Stubborn, Dominant, Leader I represent change but I am both strength, stability and happiness I symbolize water and with this I am guided by my spiritual animal of the crocodile and alligator Thus, I derive my strength from the ocean, rivers and rain I gain energy from colors of black and blue and my natural element is earth itself Imox is my day and represents the mind that serves as a bridge between ideas and wisdom. I orient myself towards the setting of the sun, during the time hovering between day and night. Lastly, my path to become a medical professional or of the likes will allow me to achieve happiness for this is a part of my calling, but I must never forget that my true purpose lies in the ability to aid, help and change the lives of others. Categories: Kimberly in Guatemala | Tags: Engaged Learning, Guatemala, Kimberly, SMU | Leave a comment

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Engaged Learning Speech Presentation January 24, 2013

Health, Science, Tradition and the Maya Kimberly Mendoza Engaged Learning January 24th, 2013

The Maya Ancient vs. Modern

Ancient - Tikal Archeological site and center of pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Located in El PĂŠten Photo Credit: Altiplanos.com/gt

Background What was my inspiration for this project?

Engaged Learning Project outline, timeline and results

Project !  Topic !  Timeline !  Individuals

interviewed !  Length of interviews !  Types of individuals interviewed !  Locations

My Role Interviews, Traveling, Backpacking, and Recording

Results !  Need

for Western bio-medicine to work together with indigenous healing methods !  Communication !  Patient vs. Doctor !  Language differences

Conclusion What is next for the futureâ&#x20AC;Ś