Tomorrow, we’ll watch a performance by Christi Uicab, a Yucatecan actor and author whose one-woman show, In K’áabae’ María Uicab, dramatizes the issues of indigenous sovereignty, colonialism, and Mayan survivance that we’ve been discussing all semester. It’s set during the Caste War, touches on Montejo’s conquest of Yucatán and Landa’s destruction of the Mayan codices, and offers fascinating observations on what it means to be a Mayan woman today.
The play is in Spanish and Maya, so Alina Horta has kindly produced an excellent translation of the piece. Please read the translation before the play tomorrow! We will have an opportunity to discuss the piece with the actor/author, which is such a rare opportunity. It’s a powerful, short piece of theater that brings together so much of what we’ve studied.
In class, we’ll discuss our time in Yaxunah, the Mayan folk tales that Doug posted last week (read them tonight if you haven’t already), and some issues facing contemporary Maya cities like Yaxunah, particularly viz. tourism and labor in the Yucatán. See you at IFSA at 10:30am tomorrow!
