The Lived Maya Mam Cosmovision of Cajolá

Collaboration between Maya Mam Weavers & Marlon Davila

Written by Caryn Maxim

As a gringa immersed in the Mam town of Cajolá for more than twenty years, I have been able to observe the contemporary Maya Mam culture of Cajolá to consider whether it is consistent with the Maya Mam Cosmovison. The Maya Mam Cosmovision is the overall worldview that everything is interconnected. I have studied Maya Cosmovision through lots of reading and workshops and have always shared my tentative conclusions with Ely Lopez, a Mam spiritual guide, or “aj’ij”, (and currently Grupo Cajolá’s board president) to make sure I am understanding it properly.

Cajolá has always been a primarily Mam community. The Mam are one of the 22 Maya ethnic groups in Guatemala. In the 500 years since the invasion by the Spanish and the Catholic Church, and then during the 36 years of civil war, the Maya cosmovision has been under attack. The Catholic Church eventually accepted a kind of syncretism with the Maya cosmovision. However, many members of the Evangelical movement that became strong during the civil war when it was too dangerous to be a Catholic, have preached that the practice of Maya cosmovision is witchcraft. The most recent dagger has been the influence of US culture as a result of media and migration. In spite of all of that, many values that embody the Maya cosmovision are still evident in day-to-day life in Cajolá, even among evangelicals.

Within the Maya cosmovision everything is interconnected, reciprocity is fundamental, and relationships are what matter, whether it is with the land, mother nature, family, ancestors, or the community. Nature is sacred, and there is a responsibility to protect and care for the earth. This is most evident in the care of the land to provide sustenance for life through growing corn.

The growing of corn and its accompanying beans and squash give a clear rhythm to life. Each stage of its growth is noticed and celebrated, whether it is the first leaves that can be used for tamales or the first sweet elote (corn on the cob) that can be eaten. The corn is dried so it can provide food through the year. The dried corn is milled into masa (dough) to become the tortillas or tamales that accompany every meal. And in times when there is little food, the tortilla might be accompanied by just salt or chili pepper, but it remains a key staple.

Perez Family

The family is central to daily living. Cousins are family but there is no delineation between first, second, or third cousins. They are all family. Visitors are received with hospitality (though strangers without any connection to the community are not). Greetings are always exchanged before any conversation or meeting begins.

Elders and ancestors are respected for their wisdom about how to live. Visits to the cemetery are frequent to lay flowers (or food on November 1^st). Death is seen as part of the cycle of life.

Gratitude and giving thanks are important in the family and in society. This is expressed as a conscious reciprocity but is also expressed with fiestas which celebrate many different occasions, weddings, the completion of a water project, graduation, return of a migrant, birthdays – especially the first birthday.

Preparing for a fiesta

An underlying foundation of Maya Mam cosmovision is the concept of equilibrium. Equilibrium provides the underpinnings for good health and for justice. Health is conceived of holistically, not just aches and pains or illnesses, but includes social relations. Western medicine is called on for many illnesses, but there are many natural remedies for bringing your body or your social relations back into equilibrium.

Maya justice is also about equilibrium for the community. Emphasis is on restitution so the community remains “whole.” Cajolá does not have state police, but has a system of “Auxiliary Mayors” headed by indigenous elders and staffed by young men whose duty is to volunteer for one week out of every five weeks during one year. Their work is to maintain community equilibrium negotiating disputes, domestic problems, or other disturbances. The police are only called on for serious crimes.

Hopefully I have given you some insights into how the Maya Mam cosmovision is still lived today in Cajolá in spite of history and religious affiliations.

Caryn Maxim has been collaborating with Grupo Cajolá for more than 20 years. She is currently the Executive Director of Grupo Cajolá in North America.