By Maggie Zinck Today we drove to Santiago Atitlán by truck to meet with a Maya activist named Dolores Ratzan for the day. Our group paid respects to the shrine of Maximón, a folk saint in the Maya-Catholic tradition. Maximón is represented as a wooden effigy where offerings such as [...]
By Suzan Nyazungu We started the morning reflecting on the energy of the day with Inés, who explained that each Nahwal is associated with a different animal and today’s animal was the dog. The characteristics connected to the dog include loyalty, protection, guidance, and leadership. She also shared how today [...]
By Nylah Christie-Smith We started the day at IMAP (the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute) with a delicious breakfast of eggs, tortilla, beans and delicious banana pancakes. Next we got a talk from IMAP Coordinator, Inés on the Maya cosmovision and the Nahual of the day to set our intention and learn [...]
By Brenda Stone Today was a slower-paced day here in Guatemala, with more driving and fewer activities, which gave me a chance to really take in the surroundings around Lake Atitlán and reflect on everything we’ve been learning. We spent the morning visiting the CCDA (Campesino Committee of the Highlands), [...]
By Rylee Boswell Today was our second full day in Guatemala City. We started the morning bright and early with a beautiful breakfast of crepes, fruit, cheese and tomato! Our driver Martin picked us up at 7:30 a.m. and we headed to an archeological site called Parque Arqueológico Kaminaljuyu in [...]
By Mabel Szekely-Farrol Our first full day in Guatemala was super eventful and informative. We started out our day with a delicious breakfast at Casa San Benito, consisting of corn tortillas, eggs, beans, fruit, and an assortment of jam and salsa, which was a great start to the morning. We [...]
By Hannah Frazer, former BTS Intern What do you see? As of a few weeks ago, I would have answered similarly to the same small voice that has likely just gone off in your head looking at these three photos—a house with a porch, a field of flowers, [...]
The last year was one of renewed connection, hard-won progress, and steadfast solidarity in both Guatemala and Canada. From standing with our partners facing criminalization and displacement, to celebrating community victories against destructive Canadian mining projects, to welcoming so many guests to the Maritimes, 2025 reminded us what collective strength [...]
Interim Maritimes Coordinator Employment type: Temporary, Contract (from June 15, 2026 to April 30, 2027) Location: Must be based in the Maritimes Working hours: 27 hours per week Pay rate: $30 per hour, to be invoiced as an independent contractor and paid monthly. Start date: June 15, 2026 (note: the [...]
By Sophie Purcell Our final day in Guatemala was a meaningful way to close out the experience. We traveled to the Xinka territory where we learned about the impacts of Canadian mining on local communities. Hearing directly about these realities made the issues feel much more personal and reinforced the [...]
