Guatemala is home to over 17 million people with early half identifying as indigenous, representing 24 distinct ethnic groups[1]. Realizing the discrimination faced by the indigenous population in a country as culturally rich and diverse as Guatemala was shocking, especially as Jose, an indigenous teacher and ConnectED Fellow, spoke about his experiences. There is a history of discrimination and exploitation, manifesting not only in racial discrimination but also in disparities in employment, income, health, education, and political representation for these populations.
Jose, a descendant of the Maya K’iche’ people, shared what being indigenous means to him and how it intersects with his career. He highlighted the lack of opportunities for Guatemala’s indigenous peoples and shared how educators like him turn to organizations like ConnectED for support in their initiatives. Despite comprising the majority, indigenous populations still face unequal access to opportunities. For the past 21 years, Jose has dedicated himself to education at the Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta, Cantón Tzalamabaj Segundo Centro, and ConnectED has provided him with a platform to continue his important work.
Q: What does being indigenous mean to you, and how does it influence your work with students and communities?
To me, it’s an honor to be indigenous. Ethnically I’m K’iche’ and our culture here in Guatemala has suffered plenty, we have faced discrimination. This is why as an indigenous educator I am extremely proud of what I do because I represent my culture and I want to better the circumstances of my people. Not only do I represent my culture but also all of our past generations, my father, my mother, and my community.
Q: Do you find yourself integrating indigenous culture and traditions into your teaching approach?
I work with both primary and secondary grades and mostly everything we do with the students we try to maintain and integrate our indigenous culture. We speak our native language which is K’iche’ amongst each other and the students. We also have language classes available to the students.
Q: Would you say the indigenous students encounter challenges in accessing quality education?
Directly in our school, I would say our students don’t face the typical challenges or discrimination. This is because over 60% of the faculty are indigenous and as a result, the students don’t face what students outside of this area would. We speak the same language as them, the students understand us, and our communication with their parents is also in K’iche’ so there is minimal space for miscommunication.
Now in other spaces and other schools, many indigenous students do face discrimination and other challenges because of the language barrier and instructors only speaking Spanish.
Q: Is there collaboration with the indigenous community to ensure the student’s needs are met in the educational space?
Yes, there is! It’s a continuation of our efforts to seamlessly blend our culture into activities designed to reinforce our ethnic practices.
Q: Is there anything else you want to let the readers know?
Yes, I do. While it’s true that many times as indigenous people we are discriminated against due to social hierarchy. People want us to think that we can’t do what others do, that since we are indigenous, we can’t obtain higher education, or even with an education we still won’t have access to the same opportunities. With all that in mind, we’re trying to break that mindset with our students. We want to prepare them so that in the future they won’t have those limitations projected on them. Personally, to be where I’m at now has cost me quite a bit but, I don’t want that for my students. As a father, I want my children and students to know that being indigenous is nothing to be ashamed of. Many children say they don’t want to be indigenous because media outlets show being indigenous as a lower social class. This then becomes the narrative, which is what we are trying to change, we want the students to know that being indigenous is a good thing, something to be proud of. For example, you have the strength of being bilingual while others can’t say the same.
Q: Can you recall the moment when you realized you wanted to become a teacher? What was it about that moment or experience that sparked your passion for education?
To tell you the truth, I never thought I’d become a teacher, however, while in university, my different jobs opened my eyes to the discrimination my people faced. I had one job that I would have to travel for 20 – 30 minutes every day and on the bus, there were seats that indigenous people like me were not allowed to sit in. The seats were reserved for higher society, and I would have to stand even if the seats were empty. All I could think of was what I could do to change this and contribute to the change. If I wanted to make a change, I would have to keep going to school, so I pursued a degree in social work. However, I found myself struggling to pay for my university classes and that’s when I turned to teaching to support the completion of my degree. When I started teaching, I realized that the change I wanted to see could begin right here in the classroom with the students. These days I recommend teaching as a career to all my students. This is an opportunity to serve others, recognize your potential, and become an agent of change.
Q: In many rural and indigenous communities, students face challenges in transitioning to secondary and higher education. What motivated you to become an educator despite these difficulties?
To be honest, at first, I was motivated by the fact that staying in school would give me more of a break. My siblings and I would joke that compared to working in the fields all day, attending school seemed the easier route. It came down to either pursuing higher education or facing a more strenuous workload. However, my perspective shifted once I began teaching. Experiencing firsthand the transformative power of education amidst adversity, I now passionately advocate to my children that there’s no greater investment in oneself than staying in school.
Q: How do you see your role as a teacher contributing to addressing the disparities that exist in rural education?
In my eyes, I see that teachers are extremely important to the students. The students tend to copy you. For example, if you’re a good teacher who sets high standards, the students will try to mirror those standards. This same concept is applied to culture, if the teacher respects their culture and shows that they are proud to be a part of the indigenous community, the students will also respect their indigenous identity. From what I see the students will show admiration for their culture if we do the same. In my case, I speak K’iche’ in school and in turn, the students do the same and it keeps the language alive.
Q: What strategies or approaches do you use to inspire and support your students to continue their education?
I conduct an activity where I ask students to imagine their lives in five years, ten years, and beyond. I ask them to envision where they want to be in life. Do they see themselves being educated and living comfortably? What goals do they want to accomplish or see themselves achieving? I tell them that they can have the lives they envision for themselves; however, the way to achieve that is through education.
Interview conducted by ConnectED Intern, Rachel Gonzalez
Bibliography
- International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Indigenous peoples in Guatemala [Internet]. www.iwgia.org. [cited 2024]. Available from: https://www.iwgia.org/en/guatemala.html#:~:text=Posted%20in%20Guatemala-
- Ba Tiul (Maya Poqomchí’) KM. 100 Days of Indigenous Mobilization in Guatemala Demonstrate Half a Century of Indigenous Resistance [Internet]. Cultural Survival. 2024. Available from: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/100-days-indigenous-mobilization-guatemala-demonstrate-half-century-indigenous-resistance