A number of initiatives are underway for supporting and amplifying indigenous voices in Guatemala and Latin America in general. However, many of these initiatives need better structural organization and commitment to be financially sustainable in the long term. The Inuit peoples’ successful broadcast strategies can be a model for organizations to emulate for media inclusion in Guatemala, especially for increasing indigenous communities presence on television networks.
Program archival - preserving indigenous histories, language and content - has been started, but also needs a long term strategy. Instead of archiving content just for festivals or exhibitions, organizations can work towards making this content more accessible in primary and secondary education. Digitalization of content is key, and will help teachers draw upon indigenous-produced content, rather than relying on state-produced materials.
The initiatives listed here span across Latin America. Though each of them has a varying scope, the sensibilities driving these programs can be applied universally to a large extent. The communities these programs target are transnational - they are not restricted by nation-state boundaries. It is important to study these initiatives not through the indigenous communities’ conceptualizations of identity and boundaries, which may transcend commonly-accepted modern geographical borders.
Film Festivals, Broadcasting and Training:
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500 Years: Life in Resistance - Pamela Yates’ Resistance Saga trilogy tells the story of the Maya peoples’ centuries long struggle to defend their rights, identity, lands and culture.
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Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) - The APTN is the first television channel run by and for indigenous people in the U.S. and Canada, and produces and airs content that has been made by and for these communities.
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Ambulante - A non-profit organization, Ambulante uses and supports the use of documentary filmmaking as a tool to make societies more educated, informed, representative and diverse across Latin America.
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Cinematography Education and Production Center (CEFREC) - CEFREC is an organization that provides training for producing, creating and distributing media for indigenous peoples in Bolivia.
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Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Cine y Comunicación de los Pueblos Indígenas (CLACPI) - CLACPI is the oldest and largest Latin American organization for promoting indigenous film and media production, and helping indigenous filmmakers create and fortify their networks across the region.
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FICMAYAB’ - The 13th International Festival of Film and Communication of Indigenous Peoples exhibits works surrounding culture, environment, memory and communication challenges for indigenous people across the world.
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Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) - IBC produces Inuktut-language content for the Inuit people of the Nunavut region and has one of the most successful structural and communication models for indigenous communications.
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Isuma TV - Isuma TV is Canada’s first Inuit-owned, Inuktut-language television and carries programming to promote Canada’s indigenous communities and peoples.
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Mother Tongue Film Festival - An initiative of the Smithsonian Institution, the Mother Tongue Film Festival “amplifies the work of diverse practitioners” through content produced in indigenous languages all around the world, including Guatemala.
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Capacity Building:
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Inter-American Foundation (IAF) - The IAF is a U.S. government agency that provides development assistance to non-profit organizations and grassroots groups working in Latin America.
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Rhizomatica - Rhizomatica is an organization dedicated to helping oppressed and marginalized communities create, maintain and advocate for telecommunications systems through community participation.
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Seattle International Foundation (SIF) - A non-profit organization, SIF helps convene experts, grant funds, conduct advocacy and develop leadership capacity to promote good governance and equity, create a robust civil society, and reduce migration in Central America and Northern Triangle in particular.
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Language Preservation:
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Various universities have Centers for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) that conduct research on issues in the LAC region and help preserve indigenous languages. Some of these include, but are not limited to:
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Canada - First Peoples’ Cultural Council | University of British Columbia | University of Saskatchewan | University of Toronto
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Guatemala - DW Akademie | Guatemalan Institute for Radio Education | Mayan Language Academy
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Mexico - Society of Native Nations | Ollin Tlahtoalli Centro de Lenguas y Cultura Mexicana | Linguistic Rights of Indigenous Peoples Law (Ley General de Derechos Lingüísticos de los Pueblos Indígenas
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U.S. - New York University | University of California, Davis | University of Texas, Austin | Vanderbilt University
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Advocacy and Awareness:
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Asociación estroreña para el desarrollo integral (AEPDI) Defensoría Q’eqchi’ Desarrollo Rural - AEPDI works to achieve better and more dignified conditions of life, work, freedom and social participation for all through education, in partnership with governmental, non-governmental, national, and international institutions.
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Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) - The largest indigenous organization in Ecuador, CONAIE is dedicated to consolidating indigenous groups in the fight for indigenous lands, rights, resources and culture.
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Guatemalan Indigenous Development Fund (FODIGUA) - FODIGUA works primarily with the Mayan, Garifuna and Xinca peoples to empower them to participate in politics and promote indigenous peoples’ development.
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Office for the Defense of Indigenous Women (DEMI) - DEMI promotes and defends the rights of indigenous women, a marginalized community within a marginalized indigenous population.
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Organizations in Support of Indigenous Peoples and Communities in Central America (ACICAFOC): The ACICAFOC works with indigenous communities throughout Central America to promote social, cultural, economic and environmental development.
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Presidential Commission against Racism and Discrimination (CODIRSA) - CODIRSA works to eliminate racial discrimination and all forms of racism, including institutional and legal racism.
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Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) - The NMAI seeks to promote understanding of, and equity and justice for Native peoples (primarily in the U.S.) through “education, inspiration and empowerment."