Day: July 3, 2022

The Rainbow Circle

As we walked up the hill for our excursion in Santa María de Jesús we were welcomed by Kawoq, a spiritual guide, through a door to his family milpa. We huddled in a big circle and copal incense went up through the canopy trees. All of our Nawals were called and each of us got to lay down white candles as offerings. During the process, I began to get emotional and couldn’t stop crying. This felt different than the other excursions and the cofradías we visited previously. Everything we had been learning about was coming to life. He closely monitored our candles, the energy, and the altar. When he was talking to the gods and to the nature, his native language sounded like music. In this picture, I was interviewing Kawoq about the medicinal plants used during rituals which included rosemary, copal, ruda, cocao, and more. He told me how resilient the Maya have been through climate change and colonization. Even though violent changes have been occurring for centuries, he said these plants still remain in his garden and other family gardens. I learned so much about how energy changes and how real the healing powers of spiritual guides and plants are. At the end of the ceremony, the whole class saw a circle rainbow around the sun and this represented that the cleanse worked for me/ the group. I have never been to something like this before and I learned how important community is. During this study abroad trip, I found family and healing especially through learning about Maya spirituality practices and plants.

-Ariana Morales

Reflections on a Home Away from Home in Antigua

As I was reflecting on our month abroad with Mizuki, we were discussing our favorite parts of the program and the experiences we found most meaningful.  We agreed that visiting Antigua was very special because it was not a replicable experience.  We can visit Antigua again as tourists, but spending time with our host families, building those relationships, and being immersed in the language and culture was a unique opportunity.  I love the photo because it shows where we were living every day, rather than a single excursion.  To me, it is representative of the time we spent resting and learning in Antigua.  Kimi (our host family’s cat) is pictured and she reminds me of the family that was so hospitable to us, and Doña Dilia, whose empathy is unmatched.  She supported us through parasites and covid, found help for me when I damaged my computer and put us first despite facing a familial tragedy of her own.  It was a privilege to study in such a historical city, and I think being supported by a local family requires reflection on what it means to be a responsible and aware visitor.  This program has reinforced to me that I must be conscious of my own privilege during my travels and make efforts to understand the history of the places that I visit, as well as the implications it has for modern life.  Although my specific research was about water accessibility in ancient and contemporary Maya communities, I hope that, going forward, I can use what I have learned to take more of an active approach in advocating for water safety/conservation as well as equitable access in Austin.

-Joelle Kenty

Tying it all off with Tikal

thomas porter blog picture

This is my final blog post, and my final assignment as a student at UT. I chose this photo because I loved the environment that we are in and the knowledge we learned from it. Tikal was an amazing site, the one we spent the most time at, and is due its own praise. From examining the glyphs and imagery on the various stelae to standing on the platforms and climbing the pyramids to walking through the jungle to reach different parts of the site, the entire experience was both educational and phenomenological. As you walked through, you heard the wind through the trees and the wildlife, you felt the smoothness of the plaster road, you smelled the vegetation, and you saw the buildings rising from nature. Without this program, I never would have had the opportunity to experience these things, nor learn about how the ancient Maya went about creating it as a whole. I learned so much about how it was all constructed and why they made things the way they did.

However, that was not the only reason I chose this photo. I also chose it because it highlights all of my classmates and friends that were in the program. I only knew one person going into this class, but we all spent so much time together and had such an unforgettable time together that I’m glad that this was my last class as an undergrad: this is a group of friends that I can imagine myself continuing to talk to and spend time with for years to come, and I will be so grateful to this program for fostering that kind of connection between us all.

-Thomas Porter

Exploring Santiago Atitlan’s cathedral

My overall experience on the study abroad trip was eye-opening. I enjoyed learning about all the symbolism of nature and colors in the structures around Guatemala. The one that stood out to me was the cathedral at Santiago Atitlan. The red, yellow, and white banners hanging on the top of the cathedral’s roof were one of the most stunning things I saw. The colors represented the four corners of the world coming altogether. The whole structure was so massive, yet an inviting feeling encouraged me to observe.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to study abroad and see these beautiful sacred places. These structures are something that one always sees and hears about; however, to stand in front of them and walk inside the cathedral is otherworldly. I feel a new appreciation for traveling, something I have never had the opportunity to do before this. I have a new understanding of how big the world is and how each region of the world views everything so differently, which I was not conscious of in the past. The excursion to Lake Atitlan was my favorite because of how the population practiced their religion. Moreover, I loved learning about how the people of Santiago Atitlan expressed their connection to the Earth through architecture and murals. I hope one day to go back to Guatemala and revisit these sites.


Img: https://www.flickr.com/photos/155629884@N04/52191594205/in/dateposted-public/

-Lizet Morales

Food for Thought

Maize was all around us during our time in Guatemala; it was sustenance, art, and life itself. While there is plenty to discuss regarding the variety of corn eaten, the meanings of the different colors of corn in a Maya religious context, and the economics throughout time related to growing corn crops, I would like to reflect on the community aspect of corn.

6FCF8EDA-20FF-41B2-AAF3-FB8752D16391_1_201_a

Taken by Caitlin Jones at Casa K’ojom. Image depicts a mannequin made of maize holding a pre-colonial Maya instrument. The mannequin is meant to be a Maya person. May 2022. 

Corn as a crop is not grown alone historically; it is grown with squash and beans. In my mind, corn acts as a supporter of life in this way. With its growth, it also brings more growth. From a Maya spiritual standpoint, corn is birth, death, and the continuous cycling of regeneration. The name Maya means ‘people of the corn’ and comes from the creation story that Maya people were molded into humans through the use of maize.

Reliable, constant, and versatile, corn is still the perfect staple food. Tortillas are served with every meal, bringing families together to share a home-cooked meal. Mothers teach daughters how to grind corn on a metate. Walking down the street, the central church of most towns will have a vendor selling tamales. Corn is unifying to Maya people because it is who they are, but it is also a part of the day-to-day routine and relationship building.

During this program, we learned a lot about the changes that occurred amongst the Maya people through centuries of being in Guatemala, but one continuity that remains is corn. To all the people who made us tortillas, tamales, and a variety of other corn-based products. I thank you for giving me a moment of life.