Kina'oj ri kaqchikela' richin ri ojer k'an xb'anataj: The Kaqchikel historical perspective

An axiom of occidental cultures holds that people who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. A motto of the Guatemalan organization Maya Decenio para el Pueblo Indigene (Maya Decade for the Indigenous People) is that people who do not know their past cannot build a future. History is an essential part of both cultures and a powerful tool. People use it to depict their past, document their culture, validate their lifestyle, and as a means to assess their reality. However, it is not clear that these two groups agree on a view of history or possess similar methodological, analytical, and theoretical tools for describing their reality. Two distinct cultures exist in Guatemala, that of the dominant population which is heavily influenced by Western values and education, and that of the indigenous population. Relations between these two cultures in Guatemala can be improved through a more coherent comprehension of eachother's worldview and respect. Mutual understanding between these two populations is essential to Guatemala's efforts to build a peaceful, coherent, and united nation-state. Furthermore, the discovery of the tools and structures Indians use to assess their past will open up a fresh approach to the analysis and presentation of history.;Much of the historical research and writing on Guatemala has been done by non-Indians. North American, European, and ladino scholars all subscribe to the same intellectual genealogy. As a result, in most cases the work done on Guatemala has utilized Western ways of thinking and Western models of historical analysis. An important question for those working in Guatemala, and especially with indigenous people, is what kind of models or theories do the Indians utilize in thinking about their lives and history?;There is reason to believe that the Maya worldview is different from that of the Western thinkers. For example, a number of anthropologists have discovered that the Indians' conception of time is cyclical not linear and for the Maya each year is recapitulated.1 One might suspect that a society with a non-linear view of time will have a different view of history than people who study in Western educational programs. This dissertation serves as a conduit for the Kaqchikel voice and compares it to the Western historiography. The Kaqchikel historical perspective and values add precious insight to Guatemala's national history and identity.;The comprehension of the theoretical models and analytical tools and structures of the Kaqchikel is essential because it increases the understanding of Guatemala's indigenous population and forms a stable foundation for future inter-ethnic relations. Furthermore, it will enlighten us about an approach to history that can supplement traditional Western models and theories.;1For studies on the Maya interpretation of time see: Barbara Tedlock Time and the Highland Maya (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1982); Sol Tax, "April Is this Afternoon: Correspondence of Robert Redfield and Sol Tax 1933--44," Microfilm Collection of Manuscripts on Cultural Anthropology Series 63:330 (University of Chicago Library, 1980); Edmonson Munro, The Ancient Future of the Itza: The Book of Chilam Balam of Tizimin (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1982).