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For Every Indio Who Falls: A History of Maya Activism in Guatemala, 1960-1990. By Betsy Konefal. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2010. Pp. 260. Acknowledgments. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $28.95 paper.
This story begins with a photograph of a group of young Mayas after the tragic massacre by the Guatemalan military at Panzós in 1978. The portrait piques the curiosity and, at the same time, leaves one with a sense of foreboding. The Mayas in the photograph are activists: some are beauty queens, all are speaking out for their fallen compatriots and against the Guatemalan government. It is common knowledge that such voices of compassion and reason and rebellion were often assassinated or disappeared in a brutal erasing of those who opposed or were perceived to threaten the government.
The photograph is Betsy Konefal's entry into a fascinating, hope-filled journey into Guatemala's all-too-tragic past. It is a brilliant way to begin, but also a great taking-offpoint for the research itself. Anyone familiar with Guatemala's history of the last 40 to 50 years will be astounded to learn that these brave men and women not only spoke up but lived though one of the...