A Time for Hope and Solidarity


Guatemalan partner Ana Guadalupe Matzir Miculax joined us in Ottawa for the KAIROS Time for Reconciliation gathering and the closing ceremony of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), May 29-June 3 in Ottawa.  An important part of our work with partners has been to bring international witness and solidarity to this historic process in Canada.  As an Indigenous woman and youth activist from Guatemala, Ana provided exactly that.

Ana presented on the panel, Honouring Indigenous Rights, alongside Cindy Blackstock from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, and Widia Lariviere from Idle No More Quebec. Ana began by telling us that the Nawal, or Mayan spirit or energy of the day, was Ee – the way or destiny, and that for the previous day, the day of the Walk for Reconciliation, the Nawal had been B’atz – the beginning.  As such she made immediate connections between the truth and reconciliation process, the beginning of a road to reconciliation and right relations, and Mayan spirituality and culture.

Ana also drew parallels between the history of colonization and the attempted cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples in Guatemala and in Canada. She spoke about the deliberate efforts in Guatemala to extinguish Indigenous culture, language and world view and the killings that took place during the civil war. She also spoke about the current violations of Indigenous rights in Guatemala, particularly in relation to resource extraction, and the imposition of development models on Indigenous communities without consultation or respect for the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

women of courage workshopIn contrast, she held up  buen vivir as a proposal for development brought forward by Indigenous communities and based on harmony with nature, equity and the idea of living well with enough, and not at the expense of others or of nature.  She described the imposition of mega projects without consultation and with disregard for Indigenous models of development as the latest form of colonization.  She stressed the need for a unified struggle since these issues affect all of us.

Ana also participated in the Woman of Courage workshop, co-facilitated by Helen Knott.  She shared her experience as a young activist and human rights defender in Guatemala, and spoke of the important influence of her six older sisters and organizations like CEIBA that provided her with the opportunity to participate in human rights workshops and exchanges.  One of her first acts of defiance or activism was to wear her traditional Mayan clothing instead of her school uniform.   She challenged us to involve youth in our work through the use of art and music. As a break dancer Ana knows first-hand how art can be a form of activism.

It was a privilege to accompany Ana during the Walk for Reconciliation and to translate for her during the release of the TRC’s findings. Together, we felt the strong energy and hope surrounding these events, as well as the weight and long term significance of the recommendations. I know Ana will carry this commitment back to Guatemala and make it a part of her work and activism there.


Filed in: Gender Justice/Women of Courage, Latin America

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