Mayan ancestral knowledge to protect the forests

Two communities of the indigenous Mayan people of Guatemala rely on their ancestral knowledge to protect their forests and water sources, as well as to fight against the effects of climate change.

The audiovisual pieces narrate the experience of the Maya Poqomam and K’iche’ communities that, through their knowledge and community work, take care of 2,500 hectares of forests of great importance to Guatemala. The sowing processes, the ecological calendar and the rotation of the collective work are some of the ancestral practices that they use to conserve their sacred natural resources.

How the Maya Poqomam protect their forest against climate change

Oscar Raguay Pérez, a member of the Maya Poqomam group, is the legal representative of the Board of Directors of the El Chilar community, in Palín, a town located south of Guatemala’s capital. This indigenous community, of 1,356 members, is in charge of the care and protection of the El Chilar forest, of 2,230 hectares, one of the last virgin natural areas near Guatemala City. For this effort, they have been awarded prizes for their forest management.

Oscar tells in this interview, how they work under the ancestral figure of the Kamon, a Maya Poqomam expression that represents the union of the community. They all protect the forest that has been legally under their care since the mid-20th century, and has been part of their ancestral legacy for more than 100 years.

Their respect for their ancestral beliefs for nature and the search for a balance between production for subsistence and conservation, allows them to fight against the consequences of climate change.

The K’axk’ol, everyone at the service of the community

The community organization of the Baquiax Partiality, located in the in the Juchanep canton of the Totonicapán municipality, in western Guatemala, it is based on K’axk’ol’, a Maya K’iche’ expression that refers to an ancestral unpaid community service, to protect its 270-hectare forests, and its sources of water. During a year, all those over 18 years of age, have to put themselves at service of the community, and provide different services for the benefit of their natural resources.

Park rangers, nurserypeople, and any other activity that is required is done without question, since that is the way it has been since the ancient Mayans. The interviews in the Baquiax Partiality were filmed in April 2021.

Note. The journalistic series Miradas a los Territorios ¡Resistir para Sanar!, was produced in a process of co-creation with indigenous and non-indigenous journalists and communicators from the Red Tejiendo Network (Rede Tecendo Histórias), under the editorial coordination of the independent media outlet Agenda Propia.