Blog Post: 4.7

 This week I really enjoyed reading I, Rigoberta Menchu. It was both very interesting as well as enlightening as I was shown more about peoples experiences that I never really understood. In I, Rigoberta Menchu we learned about the hard ships that Rigoberta and her community faced. I really enjoyed reading this book because she told use about her culture and explained it as much as she could. I really enjoy reading about other cultures and I find it interesting to look at the similarities and differences between them. I also enjoy learning new things from the culture because some of the believe and practices are more than just that and it's a good way to look at healthier and safer ways to do things. For example, apart of the Quiché Maya's birth ceremony is the isolation of the child and mother for eight days. Rigoberta said that this was so the child could hold on to its purity a little longer and so it can start being acquainted with the world, on top of that it also might help the babies health. By isolating the child it would keep it away from the illnesses that. I find it truly fascinating how even with out the high tech super science hospitals and written documents cultures and communities where able to notice these health things and pass them on to future generations through rituals.

Comments

  1. Madelyn StembolApril 8, 2022 at 8:29 PM

    Hi Victoria! I liked your point about how even without super advanced technology, different ethnic groups were still able to discover so many interesting things. It reminds me of one of the readings we did last semester (I can't remember which one), that talked about how cultures evolve based on the environment they develop in. It is fascinating to learn about the native Guatemalan culture.

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  2. Médar SerrataApril 17, 2022 at 1:21 PM

    Thank you for your post, Victoria. I am glad to know that you enjoyed Rigoberta Menchú’s testimonio and that you appreciate the way she describes her indigenous culture. As you point out, some of the practices and beliefs Menchú discusses are “healthier and safer” than ours. The rites you mention are one example, as is the way indigenous people treat the environment. If we all lived in harmony with nature, as they do, the planet would not be facing the existential crisis it faces today.

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