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The community of Yaxunah, in the central part of the state of Yucatán, México, lies approximately 19 kilometers southwest of the great Maya ruins of Chichén Itzá and is, itself, the location of a huge pre-Columbian site and ruins of colonial era haciendas. Those going to the village to get involved in the Maya Research Program volunteer experience will have an opportunity to visit all of these during the course of their stay. Plus volunteers will also have the chance to visit the nearby church in the county seat of Yaxcaba. This church is laden with history, and its architecture is unique in all of México.
The community of Yaxunah is made up of just over 100 families. Their first language is Yucatec Maya, but almost everyone in the community knows Spanish as a second language. Traditionally, they subsist as corn, beans, and squash farmers. Volunteers in the community will have ample time to observe and learn about this ancient form of horticulture. In recent times the community has had to look for other work as well in order to be a part of the national/global cash economy. They have turned to carving wooden wall plaques and figurines for the tourist market and have sought assistance from Non-Governmental Organizations and state agencies for community development projects. Thus, Yaxunah provides a unique vantage point from which to observe and learn about culture change as it happens.
NEW PROJECTS FOR THE COMMUNITY OF YAUXNAH
Dr. Grace Bascopé has worked in Yaxunah for nearly 20 years, and Lic. Elías Alcocer Puerto has also done fieldwork in the community over the past 10 years. Together they feel they have listened to village members about programs that would be beneficial and have agreed to help in facilitating the community project outlined below. In Yucatán, Lic. Alcocer has formed a non-profit organization of motivated and skilled professionals to work with the community on their new projects along with Dr. Bascopé and Maya Research Program.
COMMUNITY CENTER, MUSEUM, AND LIBRARY COMPLEX
The Museum
One of the goals of the people in the village is to build a community center and museum complex right in the heart of the village. The archaeological site of Yaxunah is a bit far from the village, and now with a new road joining the site directly to the main interstate highway several kilometers away, it is feared that tourists will have no reason to make a side trip into the community itself unless they are aware of something interesting and attractive there. It is planned that the museum will display replicas, mock-ups of the tombs of royal or elite personages discovered in the site. Educational materials explaining the meaning of the items found in the tombs will accompany these displays and tell how they relate to ancient Maya creation stories.
The Community Center
Besides housing the museum, other functions are planned for the community center/museum/library complex. At this point these include:
- English classes so community members can be more commercially viable with the tourists when they have to go look for temporary work in Cancun or when selling their crafts in other large tourist centers
- Summer camps for the kids that include inviting young people from other parts of México, the US and other places to help in community-betterment and recreational projects (recycling, tree planting, theatre, etc.)
- And a certification program for young people of the community who want to become guides of the nearby archaeological site, i.e. training them and keeping them updated with correct, accurate information about the ruins.
A New Library and Computing Facility
The center will also have a room to be the new home of the community library. The current tiny library sees heavy use, as many of the more than 100 children of the community – especially those who attend middle school and high school – gather there to do research and complete their homework assignments. They need to be familiar with the operations of a computer and present their assignments in typed form, so the single working computer and printer in the current library see heavy use. Lines form, and invariably, someone gets left with an incomplete assignment (or all may go wanting if the computer or printer breaks down completely). For this reason, one of the purposes in building a new library facility is to have space to put new computers and printers. We also hope to stock the new library with various kinds of references and texts, including many about the local physical environment and cultural history.
The Cenote (Sinkhole) or Community Swimming Hole
Those of you who are familiar with the Yucatán, know that geologically it is made up of porous limestone, and so has many sinkholes or cenotes. Each village is located near at least one of these, and, as with many communities, the main cenote at Yaxunah is right beside the plaza and is where the young people go to cool off in the afternoons. Because the community center/museum/library complex will be in front of the cenote, some refurbishing of the fencing, landscaping, and stairs down to the water are planned to make this area as attractive as the center, and to make it a safer, more convenient place to take a dip in a hot tropical sun.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
For five field seasons, Dr. Bascopé, who has now retired from teaching, and Lic. Alcocer took TCU anthropology students and others to the village to learn ethnographic techniques, and so have a solid background in guiding volunteers through a meaningful, rewarding experience there. Working in Yaxunah is a real opportunity to make a difference in the world. A number of volunteer opportunities are available to persons over the age of 18, who have at least adequate Spanish proficiency, and who have some college-level training. Most needed are:
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Instructors willing to come to the community to teach English to village young people. We are especially looking for bilingual education teachers, those skilled in teaching English as a second language, and TOEFL teachers, or others who understand the didactics of teaching English to non-native speakers. Time periods during the month of July can be flexible, and arrangements can even be made for volunteers wishing to work over the winter break.
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Volunteers willing to come to the community to engage with the young people there to paint fences, gather and recycle plastic, plant trees, lead games and sports activities, and help children practice English.
For volunteers, what is being offered is a unique opportunity to spend time in a Maya community and learn about a rapidly changing way of life, while being housed in a comfortable traditionally built lodge run by village members and while participating in useful work with the young people of Yaxunah.
The Yaxunah Community Participation Experience volunteer program will have limited participation because of the nature of the lodging. Participants will be approved by Dr. Bascopé. She will also ask each participant to sign a good-conduct pledge that is in keeping with community behavior standards. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2008. You will be notified promptly regarding acceptance. If you are interested in being a Yaxunah Community Participation Experience volunteer, in living in a Maya community, and in changing your life by becoming engaged with programs of importance to others, please contact our office at (817) 257-5943. You may also e-mail Dr. Bascopé directly at gbascope@airmail.net or simply submit the application form. A limited number of scholarships are available. Generally, Dr. Bascopé can arrange with anthropology professors at a student’s university to earn credit for this field experience. If you desire to earn credit hours, please contact her well in advance of the field session.
Getting there: You can fly directly to Mérida from Houston, or come through Mexico City or Cancún, then to Mérida. We'll meet you in Mérida and take you on to Yaxunah.
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
Projections for the total cost of building the community center/museum/library complex, plus getting the various programs started, are substantial, but some funds have already been raised. If you can’t come to Yaxunah to volunteer, you can make a difference with a tax-deductible donation made out to Maya Research Program – Yaxunah Project. You will get periodic updates on the status of the community center/museum/library construction and know exactly how your money is being spent.
Also, don’t forget that we can use either PC or Mac working laptop computers. If you can send them to Dr. Bascopé, she can get them to the community, and the value of the computer is also tax-deductible.
Thank you so very much.
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