Portal with videos of life stories, legends and traditions from Mayan speakers of Campeche. This project proposes to register a part of the Mayan oral culture. This will be through 20 interviews of Maya-speakers who, through them, will tell a traditional Mayan history. Topics are open, however, priority will be given to those that deal with the environment. Subsequently, these recordings will be edited and translated into Spanish and English and will be hosted on a website to be promoted through our social networks and those of our partners.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Bécal, Dzitbalché, Nunkiní & Calkiní
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
We’ll work with Mayan speakers from Bécal, Calkiní, Nunkiní and Dzitbalché in coordination with Chi'libitos Foundation. Mayans developed a major oral culture, and through it transmitted knowledge and skills. It’s also a way for social cohesion, establishing rules & regulations about the use of natural resources. Currently, these meanings are being rapidly lost due to the exclusive use of Spanish in schools since the Mayas are discriminated, so much so that parents no longer teach the language to their children. We’ll involve people in rescuing orality in its original language and to produce web content. There are few Maya websites although there are 800 thousand mayan speakers. These locations have low internet access, however, there is already infrastructure in mobile internet via cell.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Professor Cessia Chuc https://www.facebook.com/cessiachuc.pontexuux?fref=ts
Professor Chuc is founder of the Chi´libitos Foundation. https://www.facebook.com/ChilibitosDeBecal
Ismael Salazar https://www.facebook.com/salazarism
Xane Vázquez https://www.facebook.com/xane.vazquez
Alejandro Vizcarra https://www.facebook.com/alejandro.vizcarra.92
Pro-Animal Campeche
http://www.facebook.com/proanimalcampeche
http://www.youtube.com/user/pacaccac
http://www.proanimalcampeche.blogspot.mx
@pac.ac
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
This register involves the inventory of stories and knowledge that have served the Maya to convey their knowledge. It will be 20 registrations, each of which will have a transcription, and captioning is contemplated. The main issues are related to the environment and historical memory. Although, depending on its value, can be extended to cover biographical stories, community or new perspectives, depending on the communication needs of the community. The aim is to create a group of writers and storytellers who can, through this practice, detonate the interests of children and young people to use the Mayan language. It will encouraged participants to create their own video blogs or join to take their narratives and stories to schools and public spaces.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
Our organization currently has a work plan for the area of the “Camino Real” in Campeche. For the realization of this plan we are in contact with the Chi'libitos Foundation, the Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI) and the National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH). We have also applied financing from the National Institute for Social Development for other projects that we have in the area (organic orchards workshops and video). If we are granted this micro-financing we will contact the Calkiní municipality, the Ministry of Culture of the State, and Grandparents Readers and Storytellers from (UNAM) to develop an ongoing program of narrators.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The project involves 20 people directly telling a story, however, we think that due to family responsibilities, people who in the future will give continuity to the project in classrooms and public spaces will be 4 or 5. As the project will also be a video and internet literacy, we expect the participation of two groups of the population, the first, seniors to narrate their story and the second, youth, which we hope to continue producing web content. Continuity activities include visiting schools, public spaces, narratives and video recordings. To ensure continuity of the project, we have sought collaboration with local and national organizations.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
It is urgent to reevaluate the Maya language since we’re loosing speakers due to stigma related to the language and youth not wanting to speak or learn it. In addition, schools use Spanish as a vehicle of culture & modernity. Therefore, we think it's important that Maya speakers see themselves in contemporary media, through stories and knowledge kept in its original language. Digital video & social networks, FB and Youtube will be used to host the stories because they’re ideal for capturing oral narrative. For the interviews we will convene a group of volunteers to help with this task, those with skills needed will be trained. Moreover, our organization has extensive experience in developing projects with social impact and daily use of social media to spread their activities and messages.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The interviews will be filmed outdoors, preferably in typical places of the target populations. No enclosed spaces are required. For interviews we have a Canon T3 camera, a Canon F200 camcorder and tripods. The purchasing of a unidirectional microphone and a recorder is considered. For editing the material we have two computers (MacBook 4GB and Acer 1GB) a broadband connection in the area and there is internet connection via cell phone. Youtube is considered for lodging the interviews and for dissemination Facebook, Blogger and Twitter. We may have a public presentation, but this will depend on the consent of the co-participating organizations and other projects that we are currently developing in the area.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
Although we have no daily presence in the target locations, we have local allies like Chi'libitos Bécal Foundation and the group Mundo Patitas in Calkiní. These partnerships give us the security to optimize time and resources. Moreover, we have extensive experience working in video, and our partners are promoters of the Mayan culture. Therefore, we know firsthand the urgent need to preserve the oral tradition and develop accessible content to young people. Is in this field where we can bring our experience, both with the direct beneficiaries, and local organizations that require strengthening and visibility. This will be an exchange, our organization will provide the means and delivery platform, and the participants will provide content for the rescue of the language and Mayan history.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
Since this is a non-profit project that does not promote religion or a political party, we think that the problems we will face are logistic ones. For example, transportation, or the suitable time for the interviews to carry on. However this can be solved with proper planning. Besides the possibility of a Hurricane, we do not consider that there any impediments to adequately develop the project.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
A resounding success would be that at least 5 participants will make a schedule for live story readings in schools and public spaces, and that young volunteers produce content in Maya. We will measure success with the following results: 1) youtube channel containing oral histories of the Mayas from Campeche, 2) twenty videos where a valuable and meaningful story helps preserve the Mayan culture and 3) integrate a group of at least 3 vloggers to produce content in Maya. Other benefits to be gained are the strengthening of the Chi'libitos Foundation and the divulging of Mayan oral history of the area of Camino Real in Campeche.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
June and July – Recording interviews. During this period synergies and colaborators will be sought, participants will be interviewed, methodologies agreed with partners, volunteers are sought and trained if necessary.
August and September – Editing and lodging. In this period the interviews are edited, audio improved and narrative time. Files are stored on a youtube channel.
October – Graphic design and website. In this period the portal will be designed to house the interviews. We think that an appropriate format is using the mosaic template type of blogger, wordpress or avix.
November – Presentation and Follow up. This period is considered for, depending on the availability of resources, making a presentation of the portal. Follow-up and continuity of the project will also be agreed with the beneficiaries and participants.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
The project requires the following materials and equipment:
Two video cameras in high resolution
Two unidirectional microphones
2 Tripods
1 Lamp
2 reflective Screens
Office supplies (paper, toner).
Operative costs (telephone, electricity)
Transportation (5 trips Campeche-Calkini about 200km) for the film crew
10 day per diem
4 Nights Accommodation
1 website Designer
1 coordinator
1 cameraman
2 Translators (from Maya to Spanish and English)
2 Trainers in oral narratives.
From the amount of these resources, we requested to the Fund the following: 1 Microphone $ 250, 5 trips (transportation) $ 300, 10 days per diem $ 350, wages for 1 Web Designer $ 300 1 Videographer $ 400, 2 Translator $ 450 and one coordinator $ 450
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
We believe that the best way to support this cause is to divulge it in the web. We are aware of similar initiatives elsewhere (Cowbird, Storycenter, Ibby, Grandparents readers, etc.) and we think it is transcendental to migrate the ancient Mayan oral narrative to the web. We have seen in the above initiatives, not only the inspiration for this project but a viable, contemporary and accessible way to revitalize the language and the culture. We know we now have the opportunity to facilitate this project because it will be in the town where we will be executing a joint venture project for the production of organic orchards and a workshop for video for kids. And our partners, the Chi'libitos Foundation is working on 4 documentaries about Mayan traditions.
Contact name
Xane Vázquez
Organization
Pro-Animal Campeche AC
