Hi everyone,
This was the week I was most interested in because I have friends I met while I was in Guatemala who were affected by the Civil War in the 1980’s and likely have some experiences close to that of what Rigoberta Menchu may have gone through. For quick context, I went to Guatemala in 2019 for a Rotary International trip and visited the same Highlands K’iche region that Rigoberta is from (I was staying in a small village called Cementario Jolomtaj near Barillas in Huehuetenango). I met a good friend of mine who had to flee into the mountains when CIA-backed death squads arrived into his village to murder Indigenous peoples in cold blood.
This book has been on my reading bucket list for years now, ever since I came back from Guatemala. I am happy we got the chance to read it in class. As mentioned in lecture, it is an example that portrays a level of agency on Menchu, to tell her story to the extent in which she feels comfortable, by holding back certain aspects of information through her repeated references to “secrets”–distinguishing the aspect of a testimonio from an autobiography.
What stood out to me most in this book was the recurring theme of moving forward despite the many challenges they face in protecting their land, people, and culture. Guatemala is historically a region very soughted out by “Western” liberal democracies and private fruit companies–ie United Fruit Company–who often resort to the highly-populated Indigenous areas of the highlands to utilize the land for food production–most times it being crops that aren’t even native or widely consumed by Guatemalans (check out an article on this–it is super interesting and highlights the negative impact foreign investment in agriculture has had on Indigenous communities). Rigoberta and her community in Altiplano aim to resist such changes and burdensome endeavours from white men or other people seeking to strip her people of their land. For example, when some came to take the land in Altiplano, Menchu’s community mobilized to stop that from happening even if it may have been done in a violent manner. This is definitely not just the case for Menchu’s community, but also I am sure that most Guatemalan’s were able to relate to this in some manner, given the fact that these types of interventions are a constant threat to the many diverse Indigenous communities within all 22 Departments of Guatemala.
My question for you is, in what ways do you think this book may have contributed to discourse on human rights? How does Menchu portray memory throughout her novel?
Daniel I am so sorry:’)
Haha!
Ashley, thank you very much for your post and for having the confidence to tell us part of your story in Guatemala (it is a country that I have not visited yet). You have given us several elements to understand what is affecting the indigenous communities and which does not appear so clearly in the testimony: United States imperialism. What I find unique about this book, and I think you will agree with me, is that it shows us the adaptability of modes of resistance “in first person.” (Don’t worry, the post was on time 🙂 )
Hi Ashley,
It’s interesting to hear your connection to the reading. It shows how prevalent the problem is. I’m actually writing a paper on the United Fruit Company and agricultural intervention in Latin America so I will definitely check out your article recommendation! As to your question, I think this book contributes to the discourse on human rights by being accessible. While it is difficult to read because of the context, it’s not difficult to read from an understanding point of view. It also doesn’t require a lot of background knowledge or seem very “academic”, so it makes it more appealing to a wider range of audiences. I think this book uses this to provide a glimpse into what is going on to introduce readers to the problems in Guatemala. It inspires action in people, which I think is very valuable.
Thank you for sharing! Your post was insightful. To answer your question, memory is intertwined throughout the whole book, as Menchu shares her story of oppression and marginalization towards the Indigenous people of Guatemala. There is mostly a sense of sequence throughout her story, however, the book does jump around a bit, which is ultimately reflective of how one might recall their own memories of different points in their life. She sheds light on experiences of violence and oppression that is shared with many Indigenous communities living in colonized regions across the world.
Hi Ashley,
To answer one of your questions, Rigoberta Menchu portrays memory as an essential tool for preserving history, present, and future of her indigenous people’s in Guatemala. After being repressed and distorted by the cultural and political elites, Menchu models via memory her personal experience as well as the experiences and knowledge of her community. Memory may be used to fight unfairness and re – establish the past. Rigoberta Menchu’s group has a feeling of common identity and longevity because of the social resistance to change characterized by memory. It involves more than just individual personal experience.
Hey Ashley! I really appreciated your blog post. Thank you for sharing about the friends that you made who also had similar experiences to Rigoberta Menchú. I cannot imagine what that must have felt like to hear those stories firsthand from them. Memory is portrayed throughout her novel by having events/important experience/details grouped into chapters, while still for the most part staying true to the chronological order in which they happened. The grouping of details and events made the story more digestible: knowing, in a sense, what was coming up, as well as being able to pay attention to each event individually. Sometimes details were repeated if they were relevant to the event at hand, but it emphasized to me how important those details were to her.