Description:

The Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program is excited to host Richard Leventhal (UPenn)!

Maya culture is usually identified through the spectacular ruins of a once great civilization lost in the jungles of Central America. Although the Maya people today see some continuities and connections to this ancient culture, they see an even stronger and direct connection to their recent history and heritage of the 19th century.

The Caste War rebellion in the Yucatan of the mid 19th century is a critical historical moment for the modern Maya of the region and is reflected in the more recent Zapatista movement of Chiapas. These continuities and changes in the representation of the Maya past are the focal point for this talk. A new community development and preservation project in this region highlights a Maya view of history and the past. This type of community project highlights issues of contested heritage and provides a model for the identification and preservation of heritage in the future.