The Transnational Construction of Mayanness

The Transnational Construction of Mayanness PDF Author: Fernando Armstrong-Fumero
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1646424271
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The Transnational Construction of Mayanness explores how US academics, travelers, officials, and capitalists contributed to the construction of the Maya as an area of academic knowledge and affected the lives of the Maya peoples who were the subject of generations of anthropological research from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Expanding discussions of the neocolonial relationship between the US and its southern neighbors and emphasizing little-studied texts virtually inaccessible to those in Mexico and Central America, this is the first and only set of comparative studies to bring in US-based documentary collections as an enriching source of evidence. Contributors tap documentary, ethnographic, and ethnoarchaeological sources from North America to expand established categories of fieldwork and archival research conducted within the national spaces of Mexico and Central America. A particularly rich and diverse set of case studies interrogate the historical processes that remove sources from their place of production in the “field” to the US, challenge the conventional wisdom regarding the geography of data sources that are available for research, and reveal a range of historical relationships that enabled US actors to shape the historical experience of Maya-speaking peoples. The Transnational Construction of Mayanness offers rich insight into transnational relations and suggests new avenues of research that incorporate an expanded corpus of materials that embody the deep-seated relationship between Maya-speaking peoples and various gringo interlocutors. The work is an important bridge between Mayanist anthropology and historiography and broader literatures in American, Atlantic, and Indigenous studies. Contributors: David Carey, M. Bianet Castellanos, Matilde Córdoba Azcárate, Lydia Crafts, John Gust, Julio Cesar Hoil Gutierréz, Jennifer Mathews, Matthew Watson

The Transnational Construction of Mayanness

The Transnational Construction of Mayanness PDF Author: Fernando Armstrong-Fumero
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1646424271
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Transnational Construction of Mayanness explores how US academics, travelers, officials, and capitalists contributed to the construction of the Maya as an area of academic knowledge and affected the lives of the Maya peoples who were the subject of generations of anthropological research from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Expanding discussions of the neocolonial relationship between the US and its southern neighbors and emphasizing little-studied texts virtually inaccessible to those in Mexico and Central America, this is the first and only set of comparative studies to bring in US-based documentary collections as an enriching source of evidence. Contributors tap documentary, ethnographic, and ethnoarchaeological sources from North America to expand established categories of fieldwork and archival research conducted within the national spaces of Mexico and Central America. A particularly rich and diverse set of case studies interrogate the historical processes that remove sources from their place of production in the “field” to the US, challenge the conventional wisdom regarding the geography of data sources that are available for research, and reveal a range of historical relationships that enabled US actors to shape the historical experience of Maya-speaking peoples. The Transnational Construction of Mayanness offers rich insight into transnational relations and suggests new avenues of research that incorporate an expanded corpus of materials that embody the deep-seated relationship between Maya-speaking peoples and various gringo interlocutors. The work is an important bridge between Mayanist anthropology and historiography and broader literatures in American, Atlantic, and Indigenous studies. Contributors: David Carey, M. Bianet Castellanos, Matilde Córdoba Azcárate, Lydia Crafts, John Gust, Julio Cesar Hoil Gutierréz, Jennifer Mathews, Matthew Watson

Mayan People Within and Beyond Boundaries

Mayan People Within and Beyond Boundaries PDF Author: Peter Hervik
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 113539296X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 247

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Book Description
Mayan People Within and Beyond Boundaries explores the Maya of Yucatan, the Maya of academic institutions and the Maya of the tourist industry. It examines the interplay between the local and the external, academic categories of the Maya, and seeks to transcend the paradoxical and incongruent relationship between the social spaces that breathe life into the categories. The notion of "shared social experience" is introduced to embody a focus on reflexivity that goes beyond the subjective position of the author and helps demystify the coexisting subjectivities characteristic of ethnographic fieldwork. It provides a basis for overcoming the exclusive focus on "author," " text," and "discourse" in contemporary postmodernist ethnography, while still conveying important ethnographic information.

The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter PDF Author: Wesley M. Collins
Publisher: SIL International
ISBN: 1556713975
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
Can a culture have a theme that unifies seemingly unrelated practices? In this volume, Collins suggests that Maya-Mam customs as different as constructing a house, staying healthy, seeking God, disciplining children, agreeing to a contract, or just speaking the language, all originate from the same concept- a search for the center. This is far more than mere balance, long recognized as a Mayan cultural value. Rather, center space is a place of physical and metaphysical peace, acceptance, meaning, health, happiness and "home." Collins also shows how cenderedness is deeply embedded in the grammar of Mam- its lexicon, morphology, syntax, and discourse structure. This relatedness of Mam culture and linguistics provides an unusually detailed contribution to the debate on linguistic relativity and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Collins combines historical accounts with firsthand ethnographic and linguistic methodology to explore the concept of centeredness. Detailed accounts of his personal interaction with the Mam illustrate and enrich the book's concepts. This volume will interest students of the relationship between language and culture generally, and specifically those interested in the study of Maya of Mexico and Guatemala.

Cultural Logics and Global Economies

Cultural Logics and Global Economies PDF Author: Edward F. Fischer
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 0292781997
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
A Choice Outstanding Academic Book, 2002 As ideas, goods, and people move with increasing ease and speed across national boundaries and geographic distances, the economic changes and technological advances that enable this globalization are also paradoxically contributing to the balkanization of states, ethnic groups, and special interest movements. Exploring how this process is playing out in Guatemala, this book presents an innovative synthesis of the local and global factors that have led Guatemala's indigenous Maya peoples to assert and defend their cultural identity and distinctiveness within the dominant Hispanic society. Drawing on recent theories from cognitive studies, interpretive ethnography, and political economy, Edward F. Fischer looks at individual Maya activists and local cultures, as well as changing national and international power relations, to understand how ethnic identities are constructed and expressed in the modern world. At the global level, he shows how structural shifts in international relations have opened new venues of ethnic expression for Guatemala's majority Maya population. At the local level, he examines the processes of identity construction in two Kaqchikel Maya towns, Tecpán and Patzún, and shows how divergent local norms result in different conceptions and expressions of Maya-ness, which nonetheless share certain fundamental similarities with the larger pan-Maya project. Tying these levels of analysis together, Fischer argues that open-ended Maya "cultural logics" condition the ways in which Maya individuals (national leaders and rural masses alike) creatively express their identity in a rapidly changing world.

Ritual, Identity, and the Mayan Diaspora

Ritual, Identity, and the Mayan Diaspora PDF Author: Nancy J. Wellmeier
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 9780815331179
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
This book analyzes the lives and the continuing ritual traditions of the Mayas who live in the United States. Focusing on a predominantly Maya town in rural Florida, it shows how members of this ancient Central American civilization use their religious tradition to maintain their ethnic identity in an unfamiliar environment. Bringing together studies of Mesoamerican fiesta or cargo systems, religious ritual and migration studies, this interdisciplinary work describes the religious traditions of indigenous Guatemala, the crisis migration of the 1980s, and the Mayas' daily life in the United States, including Maya women's reflections on their new challenges. The book is unique in its focus on the transfer of the fiesta cycle to the diaspora and its analysis of the behind-the-scenes aspects of ritual. The rise of leadership, contested interpretations of ethnic identity, choices about symbolic representation, and maintenance of ties to villages of origin all take place in the context of organizing public ritual events. Through these strategies, the Maya people not only cope materially and spiritually with the chaotic experience of uprootedness, but find ways to strengthen their unique identity. Bibliography. Index.

Mayan Visions

Mayan Visions PDF Author: June C. Nash
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415928625
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Mayalogue

Mayalogue PDF Author: VICTOR MONTEJO
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781438485768
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Lost Knowledge of the Mayan Empire

Lost Knowledge of the Mayan Empire PDF Author: HENRICK PEREZ
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
The two main kinds of roads were "sacbe" and "highways." Sacbes were the smaller, more local roads which connected cities to each other. They didn't have any pavement on them, but they're still considered roads by many Mayan scholars. highways are bigger and connect cities with each other. The highways were built using a combination of natural materials and man-made structures such as bridges, ditches, rivers etc.. These structures helped make sure that people could cross waterways without getting their feet wet in the process. The sacbes were made with small stones placed side by side along their entire length; however there are some cases where larger stones used for paving stone can be found at regular intervals within this type of infrastructure – even though these do not seem necessary for walking across since you would fall through them anyway! Some of the roads were made by cutting down trees to make canals for them to cross over. The canals were built to drain water from the fields. The roads were built to carry people and goods, as well as help with trade, military campaigns and religious ceremonies. On top of all that, they also helped with agriculture by transporting food from one place to another. The Mayans also built bridges across canals for people to cross over, made artificial hills so that the canals could be channeled more easily, and even built aqueducts to bring water into their cities. The canals of the Mayans were an engineering marvel in their day, and they still stand today as a testament to the ingenuity of ancient civilizations. However, one thing is often overlooked: these canal systems were not just built out of dirt and stone; they also had many artificial hills that helped channel the water more efficiently. These hills weren't just for decoration—they were actually critical to how water flowed through the city. It is interesting but there are different theories about how their ancient engineering and technology was used. We can only speculate. Some scientists believe that the Mayans had mastered a complex understanding of astronomy and mathematics. They also believed that they had a detailed knowledge of where the sun, moon, planets and stars would be at any time throughout history. The Mayans were able to predict eclipses thousands of years ago with great accuracy using only simple tools like shadows on stones or trees as indicators of when an eclipse would happen. Some scientists believe that the Mayans used their engineering skills to build massive pyramids which still stand today as testaments to their greatness as an ancient civilization. There have been suggestions in recent times that some kind of unknown energy lies within these structures; some say it's electromagnetic energy while others say it's gravitational forces coming from deep within our planet Earth itself!

The Origins of Maya States

The Origins of Maya States PDF Author: Loa P. Traxler
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 1934536083
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 704

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Book Description
The Pre-Columbian Maya were organized into a series of independent kingdoms or polities rather than unified into a single state. The vast majority of studies of Maya states focus on the apogee of their development in the classic period, ca. 250-850 C.E. As a result, Maya states are defined according to the specific political structures that characterized classic period lowland Maya society. The Origins of Maya States is the first study in over 30 years to examine the origins and development of these states specifically during the preceding preclassic period, ca. 1000 B.C.E. to 250 C.E. Attempts to understand the origins of Maya states cannot escape the limitations of archaeological data, and this is complicated by both the variability of Maya states in time and space and the interplay between internal development and external impacts. To mitigate these factors, editors Loa P. Traxler and Robert J. Sharer assemble a collection of essays that combines an examination of topical issues with regional perspectives from both the Maya area and neighboring Mesoamerican regions to highlight the role of interregional interaction in the evolution of Maya states. Topics covered include material signatures for the development of Maya states, evaluations of extant models for the emergence of Maya states, and advancement of new models based on recent archaeological data. Contributors address the development of complexity during the preclassic era within the Maya regions of the Pacific coast, highlands, and lowlands and explore preclassic economic, social, political, and ideological systems that provide a developmental context for the origins of Maya states. Contributors: Marcello A. Canuto, John E. Clark, Ann Cyphers, Francisco Estrada-Belli, David C. Grove, Norman Hammond, Richard D. Hansen, Eleanor King, Michael Love, Simon Martin, Astrid Runggaldier, Robert Sharer, Loa Traxler.

Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion

Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion PDF Author: Hunbatz Men
Publisher: Inner Traditions / Bear & Co
ISBN: 9780939680634
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
An engaging study that reveals sacred teachings that the Mayan priesthood hid from Spanish conquistadores in Mexico in 1519. The author explores the scientific and spiritual principles underlying the ancient glyphs, numbers, and language of the Maya.