The Maya Calendar, Cosmology and Tzu’tujil language are being transmitted to young people through a Guatemalan Hip Hop Group
The intersection of ancient lineages and modern culture and technology often exists as a combative arena, where – far more often than not – modern perspectives and tools dominate and eliminate the living heritage of peoples. Is this, however, always necessarily the case? In almost every corner of this world, the presence of our modern infatuation with “newness”, consumption and homogeneic culture lure younger generations away from their ancestral roots. Very few have successfully rejected all aspects of the modern world, and those that have to greater or lesser extents have often isolated themselves and become subject to ongoing threats of exploitation.
At this intersection, however, lies a dynamic tension that holds the potential to unleash a creative force that, at its best, can connect deeply with and nurture the roots of tradition while transforming the outer face of living lineages and adopting and transforming the modern culture and technology engaged with in the process. This is an important space that Saq’ Be’ is mindful of, in order to integrate the power of these living lineages to transform our modern lives while nourishing their roots. If done correctly, lineage cultures can adopt the tools and cultural elements of the “modern” in service of their ancestral cosmology, knowledge and wisdom. When young people are engaged, a pathway is created to ensure the future vitality of a lineage, rooted in its homeland.
Guatemalan rappers promote Mayan language, stories to youth
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