Casualties of Heritage Distancing: Children, Ch’orti’ Indigeneity, and the Copán Archaeoscape

Heritage distancing, where Ch'orti' Maya peoples feel alienated from pre-Hispanic cultural heritage due to national identity narratives that undervalue contemporary indigenous communities, poses a significant threat to the conservation of archaeological remains outside Copán's protected core. A collaborative education program for Ch'orti' children near Copán addresses this issue by integrating heritage education with site conservation through participatory and creative methodologies. This initiative aims to foster dialogue about the value of the past while navigating the tensions within the Copán archaeoscape, offering a potential model for an indigenous-led approach to cultural heritage preservation in the Maya region.

Parks, Shoshaunna, & McAnany, A. (2012). Casualties of Heritage Distancing: Children, Ch’orti’ Indigeneity, and the Copán Archaeoscape. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries. https://doi.org/10.17615/RY0R-2472