Women's Studies majors travel to Guatemala
Winter 2007

	In the fall of 2006 Kristine Haugsland completed an internship with The White House Project. The internship led to her interest in women politicians and how they are portrayed in print media. More

Augsburg senior Megan Schiller spent her winter break on the Indigenous Issues in Guatemala trip. She reflects: "I met a wonderful Mayan woman named Lidia and her sister outside their storefront. I spoke to her in Spanish because that was our closest related language. She talked about starting her business which included her textile work in the market as well as a cultural development business. She said that she worked with the youth of Guatemala and curious visitors to teach tortilla making and textile weaving in order to keep their vibrant culture alive.

"It was wonderful to see a woman so connected with her culture to be willing to identify and share it with others. Lidia sees that the Mayan people and their culture were at risk from oppression and prejudice so she practices her culture every day and passes it down through the generations.  She represents a strong feminine influence and shows the spirit of the survival of a people. It was a great pleasure meeting Lidia and seeing a vibrant woman practicing her culture."

Twenty four students traveled to Guatemala over winter break to study the effects of five hundred years of colonization on indigenous peoples, and the contemporary issues facing the indigenous peoples, such as the struggle for land rights and the recognition as sovereign peoples.

Kasi Clauson, an English and Women’s Studies major adds, “Guatemala really enlightened me to a whole other dimension of what it means to be a woman. I usually interact in the world of women and academia, but in Guatemala I met women who had never engaged in that world and yet are just as passionate about who they are as I am.”

Wendi Wheeler, a recent Women’s Studies graduate reports: “Meeting the women of Guatemala was a remarkable experience. As a graduate of the Women's Studies program, I am especially interested in how women's issues can differ so much from the United States to other countries. It's important that I try to understand how some women are more concerned with feeding their families and protecting themselves than with what I call "feminist issues." I realize that if I want to help the women of other countries, I first have to know them and respect their values and beliefs.