Mayans and US Tax Dollars

Now that it is becoming unpopular to kill more than a handful of Mayans at a time on what will US taxpayers choose to spend their taxes. My guess is that they will just chose to continue abdicating their responsibility.

I am still foolish enough to be surprised that my fellow taxpaying citizens were willing to pay to promote the killing of Mayans in Guatemala as well as paying for the wherewithal to do so for half a century.

Stuff About Guatemala: part one

Guatemala may be the most Mayan country. Guatemala may also be the country in which the Maya have been most continuously persecuted. U.S. wealth has paid the Guatemalan ruling class to kill Mayans for decades.  There are still a lot of Mayans there. Viva El Oriente! The Mexican ruling class has not focused on the persecution of Maya as persistently as has the Guatemalan ruling class.

Much of that recent (100 year) persecution has been, dear US citizen an example of your tax dollar at work. However, Guatemalans, like most people in the world, know that you have no idea of what your government is doing and so are very forgiving.

The Mayans have a healthy strength. The Spaniards could not completely dominate them. A fearful, powerful and murderous few of the Guatemalan oligarchy could not either. Recently that oligarchy has begun to see their great Mayan population as a possible resource to be exploit rather than crushed.

If you do not let shame overpower you, Guatemala can be a marvelous place to visit. You might even find a 'Mayan princess' there with a smile so radiant and goddess-like that it could energize you for a long time. Looking, you will probably also find fear, oppression, and poverty. Still there is beauty in Guatemala and many curious configurations of energy. With a little care you may also find abundant health comfort.

A Few Spanish Memories of the Maya

 A short time-line:
1523 - 25 Pedro de Alvarado 'subdued' the Maya of Guatemala.
1526  Francisco de Montejo received a royal 'permit' to conquer the "Island of Campeche and Yucatan" along with the title of Adelantado.
1527  Monejo's party landed at Cabo Catoche and made the first unsuccessful attempt at conquest.
1531  Montejo founded the town of Campeche and colonization began.
1534  Fry Jacobo Testera, a Franciscan missionary, arrived in Campeche establishing monasteries there and in Champoton. Other Franciscans followed, proving more successful than armies in consolidating the conquest.
1542  Francisco de Montejo, son of the Adelntado, founded the city of Merida on the site of T'Ho.
1543  Valladolid founded on te site of Zaci.
1546  Last hold-out groups in the eastern portions of the peninsula were subdued.
1697  Island kingdom of Tayasal in Lake Peen Itza forced to submit to Spanish rule.

Lots Are "Gone"

But not all.
I'm writing of 'American Indians.'
Please feel free to correct my figures or to add to them:
Peru:      14   million
Mexico:    12   million
Bolivia:    6   million
Guatemala:  5   million
Ecuador:    3   million
U.S.:       2.5 million
Colombia:   1   million
Canada:     1   million

As you might guess, these are meant to be contemporary population figures.

In my youth I think that there were still over 50 Indian languages spoken in the Us. I wonder how many there are now.