By: Laura Morales

PUBLISHED IN LAND BACK | (2021) 1:2 ROOTED
DOWNLOAD FULL ISSUE (PDF) HERE

My name is Laura Morales, I belong to the K’iche’ Maya people in Guatemala. I did my Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Contents: 3D Animation in South Korea, where I lived and worked for about 6 years.

I currently work in education and media, and as part of a personal project I work as an illustrator. My art is inspired by my Mayan culture and history. Through my work I hope to inspire young Mayan generations to feel proud of who they are and fight institutionalized stereotypes and racism against Mayan people in Guatemala.

I’ll be doing my MA soon in Animation and Game Direction in Germany, where I expect to develop a virtual reality or interactive installations project. I wish to keep contributing to our Mayan communities, so that we can live in a place where we can freely live our cultural identity and consequently have better lives and opportunities.

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Somos todos y todas K’iche’s

Esta ilustración es en honor a los 3 pueblos K’iche’s que han coexistido en un lugar que hoy volvemos a reconocer como Tz’oloj Ya’. Los K’iche’s de estos territorios son hermanos y hermanas, a quienes quiero contribuir en que puedan conocer su historia desde la perspectiva de otra mujer maya K’iche’.

Estos pueblos guerreros merecen conocer su historia contada desde su propia perspectiva, para que los actores externos sean juzgados propiamente por la cada uno de nosotros y nosotras para que las futuras generaciones K’iche’s no continúen estos conflictos internos y más bien trabajen para su unificación y armonía.

Si hablamos el mismo idioma, portamos los símbolos e historias similares en nuestros tejidos; y además nuestras familias conviven en los 3 territorios, no es justo que fronteras impuestas durante la colonia y posteriormente por personas externas a nuestra cultura e historia, nos separen y nos hagan vivir como enemigos.

We all are K’iche’s

This illustration honors 3 Maya K’iche’s people that have coexisted in a place that today we again know as Tz’oloj Ya’, its real name. The K’iche’s of these territories are brothers and sisters, to whom I want to contribute so that they can learn about their history from the perspective of another K’iche’ Mayan woman.

These people are true warriors, who deserve to know their own history told from their own perspectives, so that external actors are properly judged by each one of us and future generations of K’iche’s do not continue these internal conflicts and rather work for their unification and harmony.

If we speak the same language, carry similar symbols and stories on our Mayan clothes and our families live together in these 3 territories, it is not fair that borders imposed during the colony and later by people outside our culture and history who wants to exploit our resources, separate us and make us live as enemies.