By Katie Murphy and Sophie Purcell
Today started early at the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP) with a sunrise swim in the lake. After that, we went back up for breakfast, which included pancakes, yogurt, fruit, and cantaloupe.
Once everyone was together, we loaded into the truck and drove to Santiago. There, we met a woman named Dolores who taught us about ancestral medicinal practices. She explained the role of the medicine man and the importance of prayer in healing. We were able to observe a ritual for a woman who had traveled five hours seeking help for night terrors and difficulty sleeping. Dolores also shared her own experience with traditional medicine, explaining that she was cured of epilepsy after being told she was not following her true calling.
Dolores then guided us as we visited a local church built in 1547. It was Ash Wednesday, so the church was very full with community members attending services. We learned about the history of the church and its role as a place of refuge during times of conflict. One story that stood out was about Father Stanley Rother, a priest from Oklahoma who dedicated his life to the parish. He tried to protect young boys from being taken to fight in Guatemala’s Internal Armed Conflict (IAC) by keeping them inside the church while allowing women to leave. He was later assassinated for this, and his heart is still kept in the church. We also learned that the 20 steps leading up to the church represent the Mayan calendar, which also relate to the human body through ten fingers and ten toes.
We then walked down a narrow alleyway to the home of siblings Atun and Andrea and their family, who continue the tradition of creating Mayan textiles. They demonstrated their weaving process and explained that some patterns are memorized over about four months and created entirely from memory. The weaving is also used as a way to practice patience and emotional control, as emotions can show through in the finished piece. The pieces themselves can also take months to complete and many people help in the process. After the demonstration, we were able to purchase some of their handmade items and talk more with the family about their work, which they are very passionate about, and we loved learning about.
After lunch, we visited a farm that produces Café Vida coffee. We learned about the coffee-growing process, starting with picking beans directly from the plants. We then used a shelling machine to remove the outer layer of the beans and saw where they are left to dry for 24 to 48 hours. We also raked beans that were laid out in the sun, which was more difficult than it looked. Upstairs, we sampled several different types of coffee and learned more about the process from Carlos, a coffee grinder, and Daphne, a coffee brewer. One interesting fact we learned was that one coffee plant can produce about 81 cups of coffee, and that darker roasts contain less caffeine!
On the way back to IMAP, we stopped at the Campesino Committee of the Highlands’ (CCDA) training grounds, where we learned about their belief in communicating with ancestors and discussed the role of coffee in the IAC and its impact on Indigenous and Mayan communities. We also learned that over 3,000 people connected to the CCDA are facing criminal charges related to land and human rights claims, and that the site is focused on human rights rather than production. We ended the day back at IMAP with supper, journaling, and a group reflection before heading to bed.
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