By Mary Pryor

When first hearing about the specific itinerary for the Guatemala trip during our initial meetings, I was elated that we were going to study the culture, understand the ramifications of the civil conflict, and spend time in a place with a lot of historic and natural beauty. The Guatemala trip was the one trip I have been waiting the most for during my time at Christchurch. As a political science major and anthropology minor in college, this was right up my alley.

We as chaperones challenged our students to open their minds and hearts to this place from the very beginning. More than just skimming the surface, we encouraged them to speak with locals, engage all of their senses, and be intentional about their time here, despite their many initial reservations. Immediately upon arrival, opening my heart and mind to this place felt natural. The lush, verdant environment and vibrant communities immediately engaged my curiosity. Though I haven’t been actively taking or speaking Spanish since middle school, I quickly found myself in the advanced class for our second session. I ate many of the traditional foods, spoke my best conversational Spanish in Cerro de Oro with Miguel, my newest friend, and encouraged the kids to do the same.

What I didn’t expect, though, is how deeply I would feel this place, and the attachment to people and place. En route to Cerro De Oro, we stopped at Iximché, a Mayan ruin site and active prayer location. Many in our group immediately took to the place, feeling the presence of an ancient civilization and a deep appreciation for the once massive city. In talking with another group that had no idea what anthropology actually meant initially as it came up in our conversations, I brought out the words emic and etic perspectives. Emic meaning within the group, doing as they do, etic meaning outside looking in. I encouraged them to keep a balance of both, while also recognizing “different” didn’t necessarily carry negative connotations.

In my observations of iximche, deep devotion was one of my main takeaways. Women were intently watching for the wind to blow and for their prayers to be taken to the gods, men were expressing genuine intentions from the top of the prayer site, blowing the conch. Another group of men were smoking to put themselves in a position to let the gods intercede, an alternate way of opening their hearts and minds. I felt the power of their connection to place and the importance of the altar to their lives. It was amazing to see how intently the students watched. The site served as a solace for not just the Mayans, but for us as a respite to quiet our minds and reflect.

In our subsequent interactions from Cerro De Oro and our small group’s side quest to Miguel’s family weaving space, to our amazing Thanksgiving feast and tour with Lola and Maria, to our amazing day at Finca San Jose El Valenton with the Meneses family, I felt the instant emic perspective. The deep ties to place, to profession, to working the land, to preserving heritage and the environment. These people felt like some of my closest and oldest friends: swapping Christchurch stories, sharing recommendations on masters’ programs, tasting their homemade/homegrown delicacies, sharing a little bit of ourselves.
And, the kids started picking up on this, too—- Asking strangers if they needed assistance, dancing in a random alleyway dinner spot with maracas and all with the other patrons, trying any and all local delicacies in restaurant and street food form, and really asking intentional questions, breaking all barriers.

The landscape is ever evolving, with tourism and economy booming and changing the overall experience in Guatemala. Yet, the people took so much pride in each place, and it was clear that the Guatemalans felt deeply connected to their homeland and livelihoods. In the same way, this etic perspective has us all thinking about our own ties to who we are and our ties to our own homelands. Tomorrow is our day in the forensic anthropology lab, and while I am excited, I know that the nuances of this event will be felt as we discuss the impact of the civil conflict and the acts of repatriation. But, my hope is that our group will open their hearts and minds to learn from these ramifications in their pursuit of being globally minded thinkers. I, too, know I will be eager to listen, observe, and stay curious.

Guatemala has far exceeded any expectations I ever had initially, and I know that while I return to my own landscape tomorrow, this landscape will always feel like an important place in my life, too.