[Aztlan] From Beth Spencer and the Friends of the Maya

[michael ruggeri]

Dear Friends,

While the 2008 Maya Meetings may seem years in the past, our friends  
in Texas are planning the 2009 events right now.  Friends of the Maya,  
Inc. is making arrangements for the Maya scholars (airplane tickets,  
accommodations).  And the invited scholars are in the process of  
getting visas, getting time off work, etc.

Brief history:  In 1987 in Copan, Honduras Dr. Linda Schele, Dr.  
Kathryn Josserand, and Dr. Nicholas Hopkins produced a workshop on  
Mayan hieroglyphic writing, a workshop  for Maya scholars and  
interested Maya individuals.  After that Dr. Schele regularly arranged  
to include indigenous Maya scholars in the Maya Meetings at Texas.    
The mission of Friends of the Maya, Inc. is to continue that  
practice.   In 2005 two scholars were sponsored.  In 2006 ten Maya  
from Mexico and Guatemala attended.  2007 saw twelve invitees, and the  
list grew to fifteen in 2008. Thank you for helping to make the above  
possible!

Last year at Austin, Friends of the Maya pitched a revolutionary new  
idea to David Stuart. The Maya invitees were doing such interesting  
work that they should present their work to the general audience at  
the meetings. David agreed and now, in 2009, an entire afternoon will  
be devoted to the following Maya presentations.  Here is the schedule:

Antonio Cuxil - Maya Kaqchikel - My Work in Guatemala after Half a  
K'atun at the Maya Meetings

Hector Rolando Xol Ch’ok  - Maya Q’eqchi’ - Maya Writing as a Means to  
Recognize the Reality of our Maya Roots

Raquel Macario Cálgua - Maya K'ichee' - Ethnoarchaeology at Q'umarkaj,  
El Quiché: Scientific Findings and Social Implications

Iyaxel Anastasia Cojtí Ren - Maya K'ichee' - Investigation of the  
Ancient Maya using Knowledge of the Living Maya

BREAK

Ana Patricia Martínez Huchim - Maya Yucateca - Reviving Maya Memory:  
Oral Tradition and Literature

Crisanto Kumul Chan - Maya Yucateco - My Work with the Maya-Speaking  
Community within the Education System of Eastern Yucatán

Romelia Mo Isem - Maya Poqomchi - Initial Research on Nonverbal  
Predicates in Glyphic Writing

Lolmay Pedro García - Maya Kaqchikel - Teaching Maya Hieroglyphic  
Writing to Children

After this program was put together and the invitations issued, the US  
economic downturn took away our resources and now we are in a crisis.  
We have made the commitment but we do not have the funds.   We need  
your help!

Donations can be sent directly to:

Friends of the Maya, Inc.

P.O, Box 1770

Blowing Rock, NC 28605

THANK YOU!

Sincerely,

Sue, Al, Karon, Bruce, Nick, Alfonso, Nora, Beth (Board of Directors,  
Friends of the Maya, Inc.)

Please visit our web site at  http://www.friendsofmayainc.org/ for  
additional information and newsletter showing our past activities.