Indigenous languages, cultural continuity, and the Maya renaissance

This talk presents an overview of the role of language in Maya cultural revitalization. After outlining several linguistic patterns found in typical everyday conversations in Maya communities, Rusty Barrett will discuss the ways in which these patterns serve as the basis for artistic expression in contemporary Guatemalan Maya communities. The talk will present examples from contemporary Maya literature, hip hop music, and visual art to demonstrate the ways in which cultural norms for conversational interaction are reproduced in different forms of artistic expression.