8 Ajaw 8 Pax (February 2, 2024)

Happy 2024!:

Congratulations to Our Latest 2024 Mini-Grant Recipients!

Happy Belated New Year!! More accurately, happy Groundhog Day! If California is any indication, we are in for a wet winter! Conversely, this month begins the dry season of yaxk’in in Maya lands, the clear and cloudless time of year, about which I presented at the last Congreso, as well as for the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas last October. I am submitting my research on this topic for publication, so stay tuned!

We are bit behind schedule due to our last blog date falling squarely amidst the holidays and then the busy beginning of the school semester, amidst other challenges like a broken ankle!

But as we await the reports back from the mini-grants from last Fall, I wanted to be sure to announce our three latest MAM mini-grant recipients that we awarded in the New Year!

Guatemala:
Beatriz Par Sapon and Hector Rolando Xol
San José Peten: Itza’

Marta Dominga Cux Yac
Santa Lucía Utatlán: K’iche’

Chiapas, México:
Avenamar López Gomez
Plan de Ayala, Las Margaritas: Tojol-ab’al

We are especially excited to be able to support our first workshop for Itza’ speakers in the Peten, conducted by Beatriz Par and Hector Xol. Itza’ is severely endangered, so this program is designed to help revitalize the language and counteract the forces of language shift. Reports back from the field are now coming in, so we will begin publishing these in our next several blogs. On behalf of all of the Maya communities with whom we work, thanks to all of you who have been our steadfast supporters!

D’yos b’o’tik

Michael J. Grofe, President
MAM