David Carey Jr. - Engendering Mayan History: Kaqchikel Women as Agents and Conduits of the Past, 1875-1970

Kaqchikel Women as Agents and Conduits of the Past, 18751970

David Carey Jr.

Chi re Ixqanil: xabn chwe chi xinna chi wachoch. Chi re Ixk'at, Ixch'onk, Ixkawoq, konojel ri Kaqchikela ixoqi, xtani chi xinkito rik'in re samaj re: janila k'as ijolom, nim iwetamab'al, tz iwnima, jebl ina'oj. Chi re Sarah: yatinwajo rik'in wonojel nuk'ux, wanima, nuk'aslem.

In an ideal world, the authors of this book would be the Kaqchikel research assistantsIxk'at, Ixch'onk, Ixkawoq, Ix'ajpu, and Ix'eyand informants whose ideas guide it. In large part due to the economic, social, and political structures that these women recognize in their historical narratives, they do not have the resources or time to write a book about their historical perspectives. And because of Guatemala's continued political volatility and recurrent human rights abuses, they must remain anonymous. To them goes my deepest gratitude for their generosity and hospitality. Though the distinct ways in which they conceptualize the past, present, and future have influenced my own worldview (and certainly influenced the theoretical structure of this book), their courage, resilience, and humor in the face of almost unimaginable adversity is what has inspired me most.

The families with whom I lived in San Juan Comalapa (henceforth Comalapa), Tecpn, San Jos Poaquil (henceforth Poaquil), Antigua, and Guatemala City greatly enriched my life. Ixq'anil, Jun Ajpu, Ixim Nik'te, B'eleje Ey, Lisette, Ana, Teri, and Victor always made me feel as if I were in my own home. Ixte, Ix'aq, Lajuj Ey, and their extended family also filled my life with many hours of pure joy in Comalapa. Sadly, two dear friends from Guatemala, Waqi Kej and Marvin, died suddenly while I was researching and writing this book.

In Guatemala City, the Archivo General de Centro Amrica (AGCA) and the Hemeroteca-Biblioteca Nacional staffs turned a cold building into a warm and welcoming environment. I especially want to thank Anna Carla Ericastilla, who brought documents to my attention that I otherwise would have missed. Her knowledge of the AGCA is boundless. Likewise, the staff at the Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamrica (CIRMA) in Antigua was equally helpful. CIRMA's photograph archivist, Toms Chitic, patiently located and put into context photographs of Kaqchikel women. A number of municipal officials and employees generously aided my search for documents in the municipal archives of Comalapa, Patzica, Tecpn, Poaquil, San Antonio Aguas Calientes, and Santa Catarina Barahona. The staffs at Tulane University's Latin American Library, particularly David Dressing, and the University of Berkeley's Bancroft Library always responded efficiently and graciously to my varied requests.

A number of institutions generously provided financial support for this research: the Fulbright Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, the American Historical Association (AHA), the University of Southern Maine (USM), and the John Anson Kittredge Educational Fund. Lee Woodward, Jr., Judie Maxwell, and Rod Camp wrote numerous letters in support of my pursuit of research funding. The USM History Department faculty strongly supported my research and writing. Constructive criticism from colleagues in the USM Provost's Summer Writing Seminar continues to enhance my writing skills. In some ways, this project began in Chile in 1990 where Gina Prez and Liesl Haas first challenged me to apply feminist analysis and action in a Latin American context.

As the project progressed, a number of scholars closely read and offered comments and critiques that sharpened the manuscript and challenged me to pursue new directions or to buttress existing ones. Kevin Gosner, Allen Wells, Rick Adams, David McCreery, Susan Kellog, Peter Winn, Todd Little-Siebold, Ann Blum, Ardis Cameron, Adam Tuchinsky, Diana Long, Wendy Chapkis, Ann Dean, and Kathryn Quinn-Sanchez all offered insightful feedback. In addition to offering sound editorial advice, Bill Nez generously shared some of his research findings with me. The many anonymous reviewers of articles and particularly those contracted by Routledge pointed to areas where I could hone my arguments and make this book more thoughtful. Walter Little, who forfeited his anonymity as a reviewer for Routledge, closely read the entire manuscript and offered particularly constructive criticism and support. Likewise, discussions with a number of friends committed to Guatemala including Alberto Esquit, Edgar Esquit, John Watanabe, Servando Hinojosa, Stacy Schwartzkopf, and Christa Little-Siebold helped me to envision my research and arguments in different ways. I presented parts of this work at Harvard University, the State University of New York, Albany, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of the Atlantic, Tulane University, USM, and the AHA annual conference. Praise and criticisms from those audiences encouraged me to move forward and fortify my analysis.