Syllabus: Mayan Culture and Cosmovision

Instructor: Fidel Xinico Tum, M. Div.

This course will be taught as an integral part of the five week long Center for Global Education at Augsburg College summer program entitled “Spanish Language and Mayan Spirituality” in Guatemala

Purpose of the Course

The main purpose of this course is to help students appreciate the rich contribution of past and present Mayan peoples to our society today. Participants will be exposed to the personal lives of the Mayan people who are struggling daily for existence and human dignity. Our examination of this culture will be from a historical-social context as a culture that has survived for over than 3,000 years despite colonial oppression, genocidal practices from Guatemalan governments in the 1980’s, and contemporary discrimination. Special attention will be given to Mayan spirituality that leads to the social, political and economic implications of our society. The course will also encourage students to reflect upon their own religious/philosophical beliefs and to deepen their appreciation of their own culture and religious values.

Instructional Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Gain a basic understanding of Mayan spirituality and the “cosmovision” that is shared by indigenous peoples throughout Mesoamerica.
Appreciate the complex relationship that exists between indigenous spiritualities and Roman Catholicism in Mesoamerica.
Analyze the ways in which different historical time periods are portrayed in the visual arts, music, dance, weaving, carving, and painting.
Identify important aspects of pre-Columbian culture.
Provide examples of ways in which pre-Columbian cultures have survived and continue to have an impact in our society.
Discuss the legacy of the Spanish conquest and colonial period.
Critically reflect upon their own cultural perspectives and the ways these influence their understanding of Mayan Spirituality.
Deepen their appreciation for cultural perspectives that differ from your own.

Course Design

The course is divided into the following units:

Week 1: Orientation Week in Antigua and Guatemala City Unit I: History and Culture of the Mayan People

Week 2: In Antigua Unit II: Columbian Period, Spanish Conquest and Mesoamerican Civilization

Week 3: In Antigua Unit III: Mayan Spirituality and Cosmovision

Week 4: In Antigua Unit IV: The New Colonial Period and Resistance

Week 5: In Western Highlands of Guatemala, (Chichicastenango, Santiago Atitlan) Unit V: Mayan People in the Modern Time

Course-related guest lectures may include the following:

Visit to the pyramids of Iximche (in Tecpan) and explanation of the site
The Archeology and Ethnology Museum, Ixchel and Popol Vuj Museums (Guatemala City)
Visit to and indigenous village (Chichicastenango)
Visit to the indigenous market in Chichicastanango
Guest lecture by an indigenous spiritual leader
Tour to a coffee plantation Buena Vista (Antigua)
Guest lecture on Mayan rights and system of justice
Guest lecture on medicinal plants
Guest lecture on Mayan spirituality
Participate in a Religious Mayan Ceremony
Guest lecture on Mayan Calendar
National University of San Carlos and discussion with university students
History of Guatemala
History of the Mayan people
Hopes for Government responses from an Indigenous Congressperson
Visit to the Mayan town of the Tzutuhil ethnic group, learn about art of weaving, art of sculpting, art of paiting
Learn about Peace Accords and Indigenous identity
Lecture on education system
Relationship between Mayan spirituality and Christianity
Explanation of Popul Vuh, sacred book of Mayan People
Lecture on the Story of Creation

Teaching Methodology, Pedagogy, and Ethics

CGE instructors use a student-centered methodology. Students will be given a course interest survey and/or an ungraded quiz or “pre-test” to assess their prior knowledge, as well as their level of interest in specific course topics. The instructors will try to incorporate the students' knowledge and interests into the course design to the extent possible since they come from different background knowledge, interests, and learning styles. Students should refer to the program manual for information regarding grading criteria and the point system.

Teaching strategies include lectures by the instructor; small and large group discussions of required readings and experiences; films; spontaneous journaling exercises; use of artwork and music which express course-related themes; field trips; guest lectures; dialogue with a wide range of people expressing diverse viewpoints; participant observation, and interviews. Particular attention is given to story-telling, particularly by members of groups whose voices have been silenced.

Required Readings (Please purchase these books!)

Burgos-Debray, Elizabeth, ed. I, Rigoberta Menchu, an Indian Woman in Guatemala. Verso: London and New York:, 1984.

Tedlock, Dennis, trans. Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. Simon and Schuster : New York and London, 1996.

You will also be given a supplementary reading packet upon arrival in Guatemala

Course Expectations: (100% = 100 points)

Class Participation (15% = 15 points): Effective class attendance and participation in guest lectures, experiential activities, internal class sessions, and lab group sessions. You will be expected to demonstrate your comprehension of assigned readings by engaging in informed dialogue with speakers, asking probing questions, sharing your own thoughts and experiences; and making references to assigned readings to class discussion topics, as appropriate. You must inform the instructor of any absence.
Reading Exercises (25% = 25 ): You must complete assigned readings and reading journal. Reading Exercises must be completed individually rather than collectively and may not be written during class.
Short Reflection and Analysis Papers (40% = 40 points; 20% or 20 points each): You will write two short papers in which you will be expected to make connections between required readings and guest speakers, cultural events, excursions, and other experiences. Papers should be approximately 1000-1250 words in length (4-5 typed pages) and must include proper citations, such as footnotes or endnotes. More specific topic guidelines will be provided in class.
Research Project and Oral Presentation (20% = 20 points): Near the end of the course, you will be asked to conduct research on an issue of interest regarding Mayan People in the Modern Time. During week #5, you will design and complete a creative project that will teach others what you have learned about the topic. Topics may include the Mayan Movements and Resistance, Mayan Spirituality Today, Mayan Culture and Decolonization, Contribuition of Mayan Cosmovision to the World, Indigenous cultures, similarities and differences between the U.S. and Guatemala, or any other issue of interest.