Toledo Maya tell their story on CD-ROM
They are the descendants of what was at its peak one of the most advanced civilisations on the planet. And today some of Belize’s Maya inhabitants are using the latest technology to tell their story to a world which has grown accustomed to accessing information at the click of a mouse. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods was on hand for the launching of Belize’s latest CD-ROM.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
It took almost two hundred volunteers from the United States and Belize including ninety Mayan contributors from southern Belize to put together the documentary. “The Living Maya” is an initiative by the Mayan leaders of the south to make people aware of the history, tradition and culture of the Mopan and Q’eqchi Maya of the Toledo District.
Gregorio Ch’oc, President, Q’eqchi Council
“We looked at the cultural, economic, the political, the social component. It all encompasses the development of the Maya people and we did that in all aspects of the communities. Each of the thirty-eight Mayan communities in Toledo have been visited and have some stories some of their concerns, their needs, the traditional culture that still exist have been documented.”
The documentary features five hundred pages of content including over a thousand pictures, twenty-six video clips and thirteen stories told by village elders. A highlight of the presentation looks at the Maya over a seventy year period and the changes that have occurred over that time.
Gregorio Ch’oc
“The changes I think is evident and this is one of the highlights that we have focused on. We want others to learn of the activities and what we are doing to cope with the changes both internal and external forces that are shaping the state, and how we can cope and adjust with those changes.”
For the moment, “The Living Maya” will only be made available to secondary and tertiary institutions so teachers and students can use the material as an educational tool. However, there are plans to eventually make the CD ROM available to the public. Reporting for News Five, I am Jacqueline Woods.
While the rest of Belize and the world will now have a better chance to learn about the Maya, most Mayan children living in small villages in Toledo do not yet have ready access to computers or the world wide web.
