Information School Associate Professor Ricardo Gomez explores efforts to strengthen community development among the Tseltal Maya people of Chiapas, Mexico, in his new book, “Living Fully: Lekil Cuxlejalil among Tseltal Mayan Communities in Chiapas.”
The book, published by One Equal Heart Foundation, is available at Amazon.com. All proceeds will go to the foundation to continue its support for indigenous communities in Chiapas. The book is trilingual – with passages in English, Spanish and Tseltal.
Gomez has taken several trips to Chiapas with iSchool graduate students to work on creating a library for the Tseltal Maya, one of 25 indigenous Mayan groups in southern Mexico and Central America. The five-year project is part of an effort that also includes a radio station and community wellness evaluation.
The project gives students an opportunity to help create a library from a scattered collection of materials in the Tseltal language. During their visits, they have engaged with members of the community to develop a library that works for them.