OUR CHALLENGE

Maya communities face the rapid loss of language, traditional knowledge, and cultural practices due to centuries of marginalization, limited educational resources, and pressures of globalization. Without your support for cultural education and revitalization, these living traditions risk disappearing, weakening community identity and connection to ancestral values that have sustained the Maya people for generations.

BUT … HOW ARE FUNDRAISING DECISIONS DETERMINED? WHY ARE WE PRIORITIZING MAYA CULTURAL EDUCATION AND REVITALIZATION?

In the organizational structure of the Q’eqchi’ Association Xch’ool Ixim, (Heart of Corn), the General Assembly is the supreme authority, and it includes 153 members from 25 villages. 100% of active members are Q’eqchi’ and it includes:

The General Assembly meets three times per year in January, June, and December. It is a forum where anyone from the Q’eqchi’ region of Alta Verapaz, may present a request for assistance, or convey a community need, as a representative of their village. This request is then voted upon by the representatives of the General Assembly.

The meetings are held at Instituto Maya Comunitario K’amolb’e (IMACK) in Nimlajacoc, in the auditorium. At the December meeting, the elders/spiritual leaders requested the purchase of musical instruments for the Maya Cultural Center so that they could play Q’eqchi’ traditional music at the ceremonies.

• This request was approved by the General Assembly, and it became a Call-to-Action for the Xch’ool Ixim Association.
• With YOUR generous support, Xch’ool Ixim raised funds for the purchase of a guitar, violin, acoustic bass, and a harp.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

TEACHER TRAINING WITH A GENERATIONAL MUSICIAN

As teacher Ismael Quib shared:

“It is important to teach students to recover ancestral sones so that the new generation can perform them in the future. Modernity and digitalization have caused a loss of interest in these instruments. When we perform the sones, we also learn their names and the specific moments when each one should be played. What we are doing is recovering this knowledge and passing it on to future generations so it will not be lost.”

COMMUNITY PRESENTATION OF INSTRUMENTS

On January 16, the General Assembly held a meeting at IMACK to mark the beginning of the 2026 school year, and the Xch’ool Ixim Association publicly presented the instruments to the school community. The event brought together parents, students, 10 teachers, 7 members of the Board of Directors, technical and administrative staff, and invited ancestral authorities.

WA’TESINK CEREMONY FOR THE INSTRUMENTS

On January 29, 2026, the Xch’ool Ixim Association carried out a traditional wa’tesink ceremony, led by 10 Spiritual Guides and ancestral authorities, with the participation of teachers, Board members, Xch’ool Ixim staff, and approximately 35 additional community members.

Wa’tesink is an act of gratitude to the Creator and Sustainer for blessings received. It is performed when obtaining something significant, such as land, a home, musical instruments, or an educational milestone. During the ceremony, traditional offerings such as white chicken broth, cacao, and b’oj (alcoholic ceremonial drink) are shared symbolically to nourish and spiritually prepare the object for its intended use.

By integrating this ceremony into the educational process, the Xch’ool Ixim Association affirms that cultural education is not limited to the classroom. It is lived through the Q’eqchi’  Maya worldview, recognizing the spiritual dimension of community life.

STRENGTHENING CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH PRACTICE

As IMACK Director José Lino Quib expressed:

“The acquisition of these instruments allows us to complement student learning through practice, so that all the cultural theory shared in class can be put into action. This will allow us to recover cultural elements, especially in the artistic sphere, where the use of these instruments has been declining in social, cultural, and educational spaces.”

Through this initiative, the Xch’ool Ixim Association connects generations: Elders and Spiritual Guides share living knowledge, while younger generations learn and perform a tradition that was at risk of disappearing.

As students advance in their training, they are expected to perform in public presentations and accompany community ceremonies, strengthening the bond between education, spirituality, and community life.

The Q’eqchi’ Association Xch’ool Ixim strengthened its commitment to cultural revitalization by integrating traditional music into its ancestral ceremonies at the IMACK Maya Cultural Center and integrating music education into the school curriculum enabling elders and Spiritual Guides to teach music classes, so that our next generation of leaders will understand this important tradition and continue to pass it on to future generations.

IN GRATITUDE

Thank you for supporting the living continuity of Q’eqchi’ Maya culture. Your contribution helps preserve language, ancestral knowledge, and spiritual practices for future generations through our Maya Cultural Education and Revitalization project!