The African and Mayan Studies project was implemented in primary schools two years ago and now it’s moving on to high schools. It’s a major political accomplishment because it was promised in the PUP’s last manifesto but, as we found out today, this textbook is bigger than politics, in fact it’s more than a textbook, it’s what we’ll call an identity illuminator. The authors explained why at this morning’s launching which took place, appropriately on the banks of Haulover Creek.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
It’s called Belize New Vision and it explains how African and Maya civilizations factor into Belize’s current identity.
Francis Humphreys, Co-Author
“In truth and in fact there is no comparable textbook on the market right now that takes that kind of in-depth view of both the African Maya heritage and ties it with the historical narrative that is Belize.”
Aondofe Iyo, Co-Author
“So it is in a way not only African and Mayan civilization but also how our multicultural society of Belize evolved and has reached at a certain stage.”
For Africa, the book goes back 9 million years, and for the Maya, 25,000. It’s a broad span – but the authors say that’s the only antidote to years of colonial brainwash.
Aondofe Iyo,
“In our case, all the time they only highlight the negatives. We are trying to balance that.”
Francis Humphreys,
“It's precisely because we are so aware that too many of us labor with the old colonial mentality that denies exactly what we are and try adopt something that is alien and therefore doesn’t fit very well with us at all.”
Froyla Tzalam, Co-Author
“Any person, whether a Maya or not, you don’t have to leave your village and say you’re Spanish. That is the problem I have seen with a lot of people. They are ashamed of Maya because Mayas are Indian, they are inferior, they are stupid, and that’s rubbish. Our ancestors were smart. They had to have been smart to have carved out a civilization in what you call the bush. And so what I would hope is that when a student comes across those scenarios that they will say you know what, why am I ashamed of who I am. These people, my ancestors, their blood runs through my veins and they have done wonderful things.”
Aondofe Iyo,
“Its not afrocentricity. We are saying that we want to see ourselves. If I open a book, I want to see somebody who looks like and I want it in a positive manner, not only when somebody is dying of hunger I see myself in the book. We should use history as a motivation.”
Francis Humphreys,
“Let me quote the immortal words of Bob Marley, ‘you’ve got to emancipate yourself from mental slavery.’ That’s a form of mental slavery. If you deny that there was an African ancestry somewhere along the line or Mayan or whatever else there is along there and embrace something that is foreign, American or whatever it might be, that’s a cruel form of self-denial and we’ve got to break that; we’ve got to be Belizeans.”
Lofty and noble ideals but the truth is that the primary level the precursor to this book has been rejected or ignored in many schools.
Jules Vasquez,
The fact is that in some schools they don’t teach it.
Aondofe Iyo,
“You’re very right, there are many schools that haven’t touched it but in a way it has not gotten the desired impact that we thought we would get but we are hopeful that with the Ministry’s presence here that will change.”
