Education in Ixim Ulew (Guatemala): Maya Indigenous Knowledge and Building New Citizens

Abstract

Original research conducted in Ixim Ulew with 17 Indigenous Maya educators il­lustrates that the current education system promotes a citizenship that endeavoursto assimilate Indigenous peoples into the mainstream. The need to discuss the role ofMaya Indigenous knowledge in education for countering a homogenizing citizenshipis relevant on the heels of the end of a 36-year civil war in 1996. This event catalyzednormative advances that recognize cultural difference today and, yet, the divide betweenrights discourse and domination is a fine line. This article discusses the implications ofcentering Maya Indigenous knowledge in nation building and education, such as theconcept Jun Winacf, for promoting a model inclusive of Indigenous citizenship.