The Survival of the Indigenous Tribe K'iche' of Central America (Research Paper Sample)

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The Survival of the Indigenous Tribe K'iche' of Central America
The K'iche', sometimes written Quiché, are Mayan people of the western Guatemalan highlands. In Guatemala, about one in ten persons identify as K'iche. Their name translates to "many trees." The most well-known among them is Rigoberta Mench, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. K'iche' society was highly developed and organized politically and socially before the arrival of the Spanish. Large urban centers with a stratified society are evidenced by archaeological discoveries (Foxen 71). The Popol Vuh and other colonial documents and chronicles were produced in the K'iche' language immediately after the Spanish invasion in 1524, preserving written records of K'iche' history and mythology. This paper conveys an in-depth analysis of the lifestyle and survival of the indigenous tribe K'iche' of Central America
Overview
There are approximately a million native speakers of the K'iche' language today, making them one of the numerous Mayan language groups. However, the K'iche' share a common language with the neighboring Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel. Therefore, there is no sense of ethnic unity among them. Kibin states that there is a strong resemblance between the K'iche' and the cultures of the Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel, as well as those of other people living further north. Farmers by trade, the K'iche' and their neighbors cultivate beans, corn, and squash using the traditional hand-tilling methods of the region. Cash crops like strawberries and peaches are also planted. Families typically take responsibility for the upkeep of their dwellings and property. Traditional textiles and ceramics are commonly practiced, as they are more conservative clothing styles.
The location has unusually rough terrain. Numerous volcanoes and rocky structures define the terrain. The largest upstream water body in the region is Lake Atitlán. Many of the villages in this area never have a consistent population, but its residents nevertheless feel a strong sense of belonging to the community that revolves around them. The villagers elect new leaders every year. K'iche' people are nominally Roman Catholic and live in communities governed 9525143815
K'iche Location
by religious societies called cofradías. These cofradías assists in the upkeep of the local church and the celebration of local patron saints. However, native American and other non-Christian rites and beliefs are extremely common. Mayan entities are often associated with Christian saints, the Madonna, and even the devil.
Origin and Historical Background
The K'iche' was one of the few Maya tribes who gained popularity after the major cities' collapse and the eventual fall of the powerful Maya Empire during the Classic Period (roughly 300 to 1000 CE). They were conquered partially since their Kaqchikel allies, Post-Classic Maya, quickly formed an alliance and fought alongside the Spanish (Rahier 290). The K'iche's situation changed practically overnight. Their estates were taken away from them, and they were reduced to working as enslaved people by their new colonial landowners. Since then, not much has changed. Quiroa states that two prior periods are considered in the survival of the Kiché tribe history: before and after the invasion (183). In 1524, the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado arrived and launched attacks against the natives, ultimately conquering them.
Pre-Conquest
The K'iche' kingdom of Qumarkaj was a major power in the area before the conquest. In the wake of the Classic period's collapse of the Maya Empire, Kiché' emerged as a sovereign nation between 300 and 950 AD. Kiché was located in a mountain valley of modern-day Guatemala's highlands, but the people of Kiché were also present in several regions of El Salvador at the time. K'iche' natives lived in the extreme west of Guatemala, and their most important city was Qumarkaj. The Kiché people's ceremonial, social, and political life revolved around this area. On the Resguardo plateau, the city took up an area of about 3.25 kilometers. The Kiché and the inhabitants of Central Mexico engaged in extensive cultural interchange. Lately, experts in linguistics have discovered Nahuatl influences in the Kiché language.
Post-Conquest
In 1524, Pedro de Alvarado, a Spanish conquistador, defeated the Kichés. Tecun Uman, the K'iche's last military leader, led his troops into battle against Alvarado and his Kaqchikel companions. Nearly 10,000 Kichés, including Tecun Umán, were killed in the fight in the valley of Quetzaltenango. Since then, Tecun has become a pivotal figure in K'iche' mythology. The Kiché agreed to surrender after the battle and invited Alvarado to their city of Qumarkaj. Still, Alvarado thought the city was under attack and ordered it demolished.  Santa Cruz del Quiché is within a short distance from where the city's remains can be seen.
The owners of vast landholdings or estates, known as hacendados, put more and more pressure on common lands throughout the nineteenth century. The Guatemalan government encouraged private land ownership, took away many K'iche's ancestral lands, and reduced the K'iche' to the status of peasants and migrant workers. The K'iche' have resorted to left-wing revolutionary movements due to their growing dissatisfaction with how the government has treated them since World War II. Majority of K'iche' have relocated to the U.S. and Mexico due to government retaliation against rebel fighters.
Settlements
The K'iche' has a structure of dispersed villages or hamlets surrounding concentrated ceremonial and bureaucratic centers. Every area has a separate administrative hub. These centers frequently remain largely unoccupied for most of the year (Carey 66). They acquired the title "empty towns" as a result. This situation happens when numerous people keep two homes, one in the town and one in the country. The family spends most of the year in the rural home, which is typically close to agricultural grounds. The townhouse is used occasionally throughout the year, such as during fiestas and markets. Ancient houses were rectangular buildings with tiled, double-pitched roofs. Frequently, one of the long walls is set back into the structure to make room for a front porch with covering. Adobe, stones, thatch over poles or frames, stones and cane are all used to build the walls. Increased Westernization has increased the prevalence of Western-style buildings, which feature corrugated tin, bricks, and lumber.
Religion and Expressive Culture
During the conquest, spreading the Catholic faith among the people of Mesoamerica was a top priority for the Spanish clergy. Although they failed to win over the locals, they did manage to change their language. The Dominican Friars, a Catholic missionary group, reportedly made the Kichés one of their earliest ethnographic subjects. The Franciscans first created "Theologia Indorum," a Christian theology work written in K'iche', a native language, and incorporated many K'iche' ideas into Catholicism. This book was written to convert the Kiché and other Mesoamerican peoples to Christianity. The Dominicans sought to achieve this goal by modifying the definitions of some indigenous words to reflect Catholic ideas better. Words, sentences, and rhythmic structures were intentionally chosen to create connections to the Popol Vuh.
According to Mast, the K'iche' religion has aspects of both traditional and Catholic beliefs. The K'iche' and Catholic belief systems are currently in some degree of confrontation. The K'iche' priest-shamans adhere to a polytheistic interpretation of Catholic and cultural teachings, in contrast to the Catholic priests who advocate for a more authentic form of Catholicism. In contrast to the Catholic Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the K'iche' notion of a trinity is acknowledged by them. The K'iche' have three gods: Nantat, Mundo, and Dios. All Christian deities and forces, including God, Jesus, angels, and saints, fall under the umbrella term "Dios." Mundo is the Latin word for the natural world. All of the predecessors and the spirits connected to them are included in Nantat. K'iche' priest-shamans can do this by integrating their traditional beliefs into a Catholic paradigm.
Political Background
In the early 1980s, the Guatemalan government led by Efran Rós Montt launched a massive campaign to abolish rebellions led mostly by the Mayan people. The campaign also aimed to stop the spread of liberation concepts influenced by the Catholic church. Many indigenous Guatemalans blame the counterinsurgency programs, also known as the Guatemalan genocide, for the systematic extermination of the K'iche', the biggest Maya ethnic group in the country. Sacred symbols were desecrated, crops were burned, Mayan women were raped, Mayan bodies were mutilated and displayed, and Mayan men were forced into Civil Defense Patrols as part of the Guatemalan army's arsenal against the insurgency. Southern K'iche' Mayans made up 96% of casualties, as the Guatemalan Historical Clarification Commission reported.
Until today, the K'iche' people of Southern Quiché endure the effects of government counterinsurgency initiatives, which disproportionately afflict indigenous populations. However, experts have noted significant distinctions between the Western and Latin American perspectives on trauma. The Guatemalan Historical Clari...