Victor Montejo
An Interview with Victor Montejo
What was your main objective in writing your book
The Bird Who Cleans the World ?
To show that Mayans continue to create and recreate their culture, despite the restrictions imposed on them by the Guatemalan elite, as well as the destruction of native values and tradition. I wanted to have a permanent record of our culture and to preserve the history of the Mayan oral tradition. It is important to me that our tradition is not completely lost. This book is my effort to save the literary tradition of our culture and give it permanence, as well as to furnish other cultures with an understanding of the Mayan people.
With 21 different Mayan languages, were there many variations of the fables, and how did you decide which version to use in your book?
There are different versions of the stories. Some people told a story and left something out, so I listened to many people and added on to what the others left out. I also went to the elders of the community who told me their versions. With many different Mayan languages, there likewise exists different versions of Mayan culture. Some stories are particular to certain communities, and may not even exist in other Mayan language; different fables may also be particular to a region.
Other stories appear in almost every Mayan language, so there are pan-Mayan stories that all Mayans share. This shows that modern Mayan communities and ethnic groups share a common Mayan base culture.
When did you first see the need to write down these fables?
While I was teaching primary school in Guatemala, I wanted to bring the lessons of the stories into the classroom, but I had no materials. Books were scarce, and I had to make do with whatever I could come up with. In Guatemala especially, there is a very limited access to books, both economically and geographically. In rural communities, there are no libraries nearby. One has to travel to the city to obtain books and the necessary educational materials.
Economically, most people are to poor to buy books or to travel to the city to the library. Not everyone owns a car, and most people remain in their village. Because of this, an education is difficult to obtain, and a high school diploma is something that many Guatemalan people do not possess.
In the United States, I find more opportunities. Libraries are abundant, and books written about the Maya and Guatemala are plentiful. It amazes me to see how many books there are in the United States on Guatemala.
How do you view your role not only as a writer, but as a human rights activist and anthropologist?
As a writer again I want to recreate the Mayan heritage and make known the political problems that are affecting our culture. For example, these fables have never before been recorded in writing. As I said before, geographically and economically, the rural areas are very limited, and education is very difficult.
As a human rights advocate living in the United States, I am free to write. In Guatemala, I would never have been able to publish my book Testimony. In fact, after the massacre, I tried to leave Guatemala, and I had a lot of trouble getting out. In exile, I have been trying to be one of the voices for the oppressed people of Guatemala. As an anthropologist, I have studied my own culture in depth.
My life in Guatemala has given me a greater understanding of myself and my people, and my life in the United States has enabled me to understand better other cultures from a comparative perspective.
What is currently happening in Guatemala?
Currently, there has been a national dialogue between the Guatemalan government and the URNG (United Revolutionary National Front of Guatemala). Also, the major political focus of the Guatemalan government is on the repatriation of 36,000 Guatemalan refuges living in refugee camps in Mexico.
There is a civilian government, but the military is still quite influential. On the national level, there are still human rights violations and I hope that the peace talks would continue for the benefit of the Guatemalan people themselves. We are urging peace and social justice in Guatemala.
Will you ever return to your native land?
Yes, some day. But right now the political situation is still chaotic and not propitious for a return. If things change there and their is respect for human rights, myself and most exiles will return.
Interview from Spring 1992 Curbstone INK conducted by Curbstone staff and interns
