My wife Laura and I have recently purchased
a traditional Mayan house in our village near Mérida, Yucatan in
Mexico, the modern capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, with intentions of
restoring and preserving the structure as a historic landmark and cultural conservatory.
These handmade homes are disappearing quickly, along with the language that
fades with time right alongside. We will be looking for volunteers to help
bring this place back to life in exchange for room and board starting next
fall.
We are looking for help of all kinds,
including restoration work and landscaping, but also skilled professionals
like teachers to give hands-on workshops taught in English as a type of
community service for local citizens. We are also looking for academic assistance
to continue ongoing sociolinguistic research of
bilingual speakers in bilingual communities, where Spanish
is the dominant language that is being superimposed over the language
of the original inhabitants. In all actuality, we are investigating "why" the
language of the Maya People has endured 500 years despite
intense colonization and overwhelming modernization; and how to
use this information can be used to preserve what is left of the original
languages of the Americas.
So, if you know anybody that may be
interested, feel free to pass message this along. I have attached a
picture so you can see the house, although we have completely modern
accommodations as well. (Yes I know, we are contributing to the
modernization of the village, but the outcome will surely outweigh this incongruity.)
For more information, you can check out my website: www.experienceyucatan.com and
feel free to pass this along to others!
Currently, we are
looking for volunteers to help us to develop our Cultural Conservatory and
Language School for offering educational opportunities with hopes of attracting
students from all backgrounds, including from nearby schools and from abroad. In
addition, the site will also potentially serve as a community center for local
community members as well, available for hosting educational “hands-on”
workshops to demonstrate the local artisanship and its process.
We have already
preserved the traditional palm-roof roof on the main building, where we cook
our meals and hang our hammocks; though there are also two fully-furnished
modern rooms for up to four people each just waiting for volunteers to inhabit
them. On the other hand, the majority of the property is mostly untouched and
is ready for some positive-energy input from some earthy volunteers to help
this shared-vision come to life.
Our immediate plans
focus on transforming the land into a cultural experience, with a traditional Mayan
garden to support a traditional kitchen, including a corn field for
demonstrating the process of nixtamalization from kernel to masa, and then to
tortilla and tamal. As well, we are looking to develop some permanent interactive
learning exhibitions, with topics to include, but not limited to:
·
Prepare, plant, and maintain a vegetable garden, with
a rotation of small corn crop for demonstrating nixtamalization, an ancient and
proven process for converting corn into digestible masa.
·
Design, Develop, and Present a Working-Model of one of
the following Alternative Energy Sources for use at the Conservatory: A.
Compost Biogas System B. Windmill Generators C. Solar Dehydrators.
·
Plant a Garden of fiber-producing plants for
demonstrating the process of weaving natural textiles.
·
Research, Design, and Plant a Medicinal and Zest Herb Garden
using plants endemic to the Yucatan; with accompanying didactic learning
activity for preserving and sharing Mayan Cultural Knowledge.
·
Establish an Traditional Outdoor Kitchen to
Demonstrate Traditional Maya Cooking Techniques.
·
Record the location and photograph the remaining Mayan
Houses in Chicxulub and nearby villages.
·
Develop and Present a Visual/Interactive Exhibition demonstrating
the history and value of the original languages of the Americas, designed for
use as a learning tool for the general public.
·
Develop and Present a Two-week Course in Spanish for
the General Public, in any of the following subjects: English for Adults;
Computer Use for Beginners; Ancient Games for Children; Science for Kids; or
any pre-Approved Art Form that can be taught to the General Public.
Saludos,
Chris Eidemiller, director@experienceyucatan.com
Alias: Maestro Don Héctor de Chicxulub Pueblo
B.A. Anthropology; M.A. Teaching; M.A. Spanish Linguistics
Omniglot: English; Spanish; Yucatec Maya
