Reversing the Missionary Position: Learning Solidarity on Mayan Time book now online

Several years ago I wrote a book about my experiences of doing solidarity work in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. After I completed the book I also produced a documentary film that was first screening in Grand Rapids in 2006.

The book is now online here at GRIID for those who are curious about the 20 years of working with Guatemalans in Grand Rapids and numerous trips to Central America as a human rights worker.

The book is entitled Sembramos, Comemos, Sembramos: Learning Solidarity on Mayan Time. The main title doesn’t translate well, but basically means we plant in order to eat in order to plant.

I first encountered this phrase from a Mayan farmer one morning as we were walking to a village to interview people who were brutalized by the Guatemalan military. He told us that this phrase represented the simple, yet profound cycle of life for most Mayans who lived off the land.

I was inspired by such a simple truth and I recount those kinds of experiences in the book in three sections. The first section is entitled Q’anjobal Mayans Invade Amway Territory. I share thoughts on being bit by the Central America bug, part of the Sanctuary movement in the 80’s and how I negotiated cultural solidarity in an area permeated with Christian conservatism.

Part II is called Sembramos, Comemos, Sembramos – We Plant, in order to Eat, in order to Plant. This is a saying I learned from a Mayan farmer that reflects the simplicity and consistency in the lives of the Mayans I met in Guatemala and Chiapas. Here I gleaned sections from my journal entrees from various trips between 1988 – 2005, where I have had numerous opportunities to accompany and observe the relentless persistence of the Guatemalan popular movements and the participatory democracy of the Zapatista communities. 

Part III, The Way You Live, Determines How We Live, is a collection of articles that I have written over the years on various aspects of how US policy impacts Guatemala and Chiapas and what we might do to change those policies. As Noam Chomsky has always pointed out, the responsibility of the citizens of countries that dictate global policies are key in determining the outcome of many liberation struggles around the world.

The film takes on a slightly different title, with Reversing the Missionary Position: Learning Solidarity on Mayan Time. It is an hour-long film that primarily covers my experiences in Guatemala and Chiapas doing human rights work. You can watch the trailer here or contact me at jsmith@griid.org to get a copy of the film.