1 Ajaw 8 Sek. Drawing by Jorge Pérez de Lara.

By K’anal Ajpub’ Santiz (María Bertha Santiz Pérez)

First, our appreciation to the organization Maya Antiguo para los Mayas (MAM) for promoting and supporting with small grants the fulfillment of these activities of Ojer Tz’ib’ [ancient writing]. With the grain of maize that has been planted now, we are sure to harvest maize of various colors from the teaching of Ojer Tz’ib’. Members of MAM, thank you very much for this contribution to the Tojolab’ales, which was very supportive and very important as it was of great interest to feel and experience a sense of our ancestors.

That is why I, K’anal Ajpub’ (Bertha María Santíz Pérez), on behalf of the people of El Rosario Bahuitz extend our most sincere thanks to all those who struggle every day to share new knowledge (unfortunately many do not know their historical past) and in this way to reflect and raise awareness and regain ancestral history to all those interested, as an example to these children who are the future of tomorrow.

To orient our readers, here is a map of the Tojolabal region, red, on the Guatemala/Chiapas border.

Community of El Rosario Bahuitz (place of the hills).

The event took place on February 28, 2105, in the community of El Rosario Bahuitz (place of the hills), in the municipality of Las Margaritas, Chiapas, Mexico, with the students of the Escuela Telesecundario Emilio Rabasa Estebanell, where the commissary, in coordination with the committee padres de familia de la comunidad, very kindly gave thanks for bringing a new dynamic to the development of their children, for reclaiming their identity as Maya speakers by means of Ojer Tz’ib and language use in the community. Continue reading →

7 Ajaw 8 Sotz’. Drawing by Jorge Pérez de Lara.

By Marina Rosales López and Mario Sebastián Caal Jucub

General Information

Date: March 28 (12 Kej)

Location: Auditorium of the Instituto Normal  Mixto del Norte “Emilio Rosales Ponce,” Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

Coordinators: Marina Rosales López and Mario Sebastián Jucub

Participants: 35 participants and 2 instructors

The Event

First Part:

The workshop began at 8:00 a.m. with an invocation with the participation of thirty-five persons and two instructors. The participants came from five municipalities of the Department of Alta Verapaz being the following: San Juan Chamelco, Carchá, Cobán, San Cristobal Verapaz, and Tactic; the majority were Q’eqchi’ speakers and some Poqomchi’. The participants were for the most part teachers of various grades and students of teaching for primary schools. It took place on this date taking advantage of the recess for holy week the Wayeb’ celebration that happens in the north region of the country. For this reason the event was divided into two parts, the first being calendrical and the second being about the ancient writing. The first part was taught by Mario Sebastián Caal.

Participants and instructors

Continue reading →