Thanks to our friends Jim and Brenda with the Oasis Theater Company, we are pleased to be able to share this video that features elder Juan Manuel Mendoza discussing the way that traditional Maya culture and spirituality has been embedded in Santiago Atitlan. He shares a tour of the church in Santiago that embodies traditional imagery, often featuring Ri Laj Mam (Maximon). This embedding within the church has been a key to the survival and vitality of the Maya traditions for the last several hundred years.  Thank you to Juan Manuel for your generosity in sharing this information with us!

Juan Manuel Mendoza, a Maya elder from Santiago Atitlan, talks about Maya syncretism with the Catholic Church. Here we see one of the many examples of how the Maya incorporate their belief system and ideology in the midst of an imposed religion and philosophy. It demonstrates the resilience and tenacity of the Maya people as they continue to practice their beliefs in their homeland.

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Adam Rubel

Adam is a founder of Saq' Be'. Having first met some of the Maya elders in 1998, he has been blessed with the opportunity to spend time with communities and bearers of living lineages in Guatemala as well as other regions of the Americas.Adam is fortunate to be able to commit his life's work to opening opportunities for greater eco-social-spiritual benefit, integration and realization.

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