Today we curved our way through the mountains to San Cristobal, center of the state of Chiapas. A little background - Though it has natural resources like coffee and oil, Chiapas is one of the poorest states in Mexico. Of the four million people in Chiapas, one million are of indigenous decent, speaking seven different forms of Mayan language.
The historical Zapatista rebellion of 1994 happened in San Cristobal the day that NAFTA was signed. It was evidence of the frustration indigenous communities felt over historical mistreatment and unequal distribution of wealth. The Zapatista movement has gotten the attention of the government, forcing them to provide more educational resources. However, the inequalities of the state are still prevalent.
What have I observed today?
On our bus ride, we were stopped several times by vendors who strung a rope across the road in front of us, “forcing” us to spend a few pesos on a bunch of bananas or oranges before we could pass....something of a people’s toll.
Our winding road took us into mountains scattered with people sitting behind piles of bananas and avocados waiting to be sold, small clusters of mixed-material one-room homes, and farmers working their way up the sides of steep hills, corn-knives in hand.
About that corn and my connection...
Some of my fellow teachers were intrigued by my quizzical looks as we passed small plots of corn on steep hills, speckled with other plants and large rocks.
Growing up, I have vivid memories of the harvest of sweet corn. My dad would disappear into the rows of tall corn while we waited on the back of his truck. He would reappear with baskets of corn. Then, we would help shuck the corn husks and bring the corn into the kitchen. Once inside, my mom would set up stations of taking the corn off of the cobb, adding water and corn to little baggies, and sealing the bags before putting them in the freezer. After the long process, (in which, I admit to more watching than working) we would have our supply of corn for the year.
As we visit more museums and historical sites, I keep hearing about how ancient Mayan culture considered corn to be one of the most important parts of life. It’s in paintings, carved into temples, and included in stories, prayers, and sculptures. As we passed these plots of corn appearing on the side of mountains, two thoughts kept going through my mind. I couldn’t help but think about how much more work it would have been to walk over rocks at a steep angle carrying that corn. I also kept going back to the amount of corn that is created in each of these little plots. I could imagine that the corn would be enough to feed a family in the same way that my family ate sweet corn for a year, but what about the Mayans who filled the grounds of Chichen Itza, Edzna, and Palenche? How did they do it? How could there be enough of those plots? I do know I need to read much more about agriculture throughout Mexico before I have an understanding of where all of the great maiz came from. I also recognize that the corn issue is a small part of the economic struggles surrounding Chiapas.
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| A lesson with our new friend, Sergio, about the different cultures in Chiapas |
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| Fruit stand enroute |
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