The Mayan Forest Home-Mother of Guatemaya holds many sacred treasures, for it gives life to the largest rivers of the Republic of Guatemala. One of these is the Grijalva River, which delineates a part of the border between Mexico and Guatemala. It is one of the vastest rivers of our communal home, Mother Earth. For this reason, it is the guardian of incredibly complex and bio-diverse ecosystems. These ecosystems are now being pillaged by human development at an ever-increasing rate, further threatening the existence of species already on the brink of extinction.

These forests and watersheds are also the stewards of the Mayan temples, conserving them in a space without time. The majestic temples have retained their mysticism, which the Aj'kij'AB (“the spiritual leader, guardians of the synchronicity of cosmic planetary time”) have preserved in their wisdom. These leaders have continued to nourish and communicate with the sacred entities, the elements that are essential to the balance of life.

All of this is at risk, endangered by the national capitalist agenda. The proposed Guatemalan Legislative Initiative 5923 excludes the participation of the Spiritual Guides of Mayan Culture in the legal process, perpetuating the continued colonization and weakening of indigenous nations. It privatizes a culture’s historical memory, dividing a people from Mother Earth/Nature. This leads to a spiritual displacement of the intangible and tangible cultural resources, and the privatization of the biosphere by predatory development in the name of archeological “eco” tourism.

The need to love and take care of Mother Earth/Nature is guiding us to act in favor of life, and against the capitalist agenda of the 5923 Initiative. We need to defend all the precious treasures guarded by the Mayan Forest Mother.

The video below and its transcription describes the 5923 Initiative in further detail, and if you want to stand in solidarity with the Mayan Nation just follow this link:

Good day, my name is Luis Alberto Jimenez, and we are now in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. I represent the Ancestral Council of the Unified Abya Yala (Consejo Ancestral del Abya Yala Unificado), and I am here to talk to you about the movement to allow spiritual leaders of all cultures the freedom to have ceremonies in sacred places.

We just came from Guatemala, where we had a pilgrimage for the spiritual unification of humanity. I want to share with you a fact that should serve as an example for every corner of our Mother Earth. In Guatemala, the laws permit the spiritual leaders to practice their religion within the archeological sites, the sacred places of their ancestors, following their cultural traditions. This should be an example for everyone.

However, when we came back, we heard some news that we thought must be shared around the world. People’s freedom to practice their ancestral religion in sacred places is at risk. In Guatemala, there is currently a law in the works that excludes the participation of original communities in the stewardship of sacred places.

I am now passing the word to Daniel, so that he can explain what is happening from a legal perspective.

Good morning, my name is Daniel Ardita, and I am a member of the International Movement for the Rights of Mother Earth Nature (Movimiento Internacional de los Derechos por la Madre Tierra Naturaleza). I am a human rights lawyer, standing in solidarity with the Mayan people of Guatemala. That is why we are sharing our knowledge regarding what is happening with this new legislative initiative.

We need to start with the premise that Guatemala is the second country in Abya Yala, after Bolivia, when it comes to the presence of original communities and the preservation of their culture. During the Peace Accords in Guatemala in 1995, they safeguarded the original communities right to practice and develop their culture in their sacred places.

In Guatemala, there are specific laws that protect sacred archeological sites. These laws permit the Ajq’ijab’, the spiritual guides of Mayan culture, free access to their ceremonial places. They have the freedom to practice their ceremonies and rites in these locations, thus keeping their ancestral Mayan culture alive.

However, there is now a legislative endeavor, called the 5923 initiative, or the Law for the Rescue of Pre-Hispanic Heritage.

I want to make this very clear, because this law has only 12 articles and is very vague. Within this ambiguity, the only thing they say is that they are establishing a system to rescue the Pre-Hispanic heritage and revalue the archeological sites in Guatemala.

What does al this mean? It means that they are going to create a technical committee, defined in the 5923 Initiative as The National Technical Council for the Rescue of Pre-Hispanic Heritage.

This means that the “technical council” is going to have total control of who has has access to these sacred spaces, and what they can do once they gain access. They would obviously charge an entrance fee. This constitutes a failure in honoring the rights already granted to the original communities of Guatemala.

At the same time, there are international treaties that protect the development of the culture of the original peoples of Latin America. The new committee in Guatemala would thus leave everything in limbo, with no clear path forward.

That is why we are insisting from a legal perspective that the rights of the original communities of Guatemala, as well as their participation in this process, should be respected, according to the constitution and the international treaties regarding indigenous people. In this new legislative process, they do not guarantee the participation of the Ajq’ijab’, the spiritual guides, in decisions taking place concerning their access to ceremonial sites.

It is my opinion, that this is just another misstep in the colonization of humanity we are all currently living. Why? Because they are impeding the connection between cultures and Mother Earth, and the ancestral knowledge that is still at work.

That is why the Ancestral Council of the Unified Abya Yala, and the International Movement for the Rights of Mother Earth Nature are calling on fellow organizations to help share what is happening with this legislative initiative in Guatemala, in order to prevent the violation of the rights already accorded to original communities.

Luis Alberto: To accompany this video, we will also share the actual legislative initiative, and more information so that you can join in this effort to support the Mayan people.

Daniel: From the heart of Chiapas, thank you!

• Sign this LETTER OF SOLIDARITY and deliver it to the nearest Guatemalan Embassy, OR send it to the Guatemalan Congress's Social Media Page and the Guatemalan Governments Contact Email
• Share this story on your social media platforms
  
• Create a SOLIDARITY VIDEO using these pointers, share it on social media, and then share the links with our social media pages (see below)

For more information, follow the link bellow to read the LEGAL ANALYSIS of the 5923 Initiative:

Luis Alberto Jimenez & Daniel Ardita

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

Ancestral Council of the Unified Abya Yala

International Movement for the Rights of Mother Earth Nature

Photos by the Ancestral Council of the Unified Abya Yala

Translated by Janet Izzo and Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo