educatedindian"
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 20:08:48 -0000
Subject: [nafps_again] Fraud Alert: Jose Arguelles
Indian Country Today (Lakota Times) 1/15/2003 V.22; N.31 p. A4
Maya contend with the New Age
Now comes Jose Arguelles, again. Mr. Arguelles, a Mexican who hails from Oregon, anoints himself to be the direct spiritual descendant of Pakal - Maya ruler of Palenque (A.D. 615). Arguelles further claims the inside track on the alignment of the ancient 5,200-year long-count calendar of the Maya. Arguelles has done this before, in 1987,
when he coordinated the international extravaganza called the "Harmonic Convergence." Thus, thousands of would-be Maya, reborn and cosmically drawn from all corners of the world, are set to usher in the "apocalypse" of Western Civilization, predicted for around Christmas time, 2012. The ten-year countdown began this Christmas. The public relations phenomenon got into the New York Times and drew tens of thousands of people from dozens of countries to various Maya ceremonial sites, mostly in Mexico.
AS they did at the time of the "Harmonic Convergence," in 1987, actual Maya elders from the present generation of community practitioners of the Day-keeping ceremonies have cautioned against the extravagant claims. A recent phone call to our editorial circle from a group of Kekchi elders took the notions to task: "Many people pretend to represent our Maya cosmology and our ceremonies. But the prayerful communication with our ancient spirits - is tender; it does not tolerate so much public notice."
North American Indians might note that the New Age interpretation and appropriation of indigenous spiritual knowledge infects the reality of Indian existence in the South as well. Not only New Agers, but scientists, anthropologists, political ideologues and present-day economists have all tried their hand at interpreting and representing the Maya, whose core population of several million is concentrated in the Guatemalan highlands. Most of the time, this outside interpretation is negative and less than useless. Manipulation of the Maya identity by outsiders is a growing industry.
To be fair, some scientists have conducted welcome and useful investigations into Maya culture and lifeways. These observers have usually worked and partaken directly with Native language community people, and have gained an understanding of currently active spiritual systems used by the people. Not a few have risked their own safety and comfort to assist in the expression of the many issues and problems confronting the Native communities. This brand of committed
researchers is a long way from those who would parade their own theatrical characters through the media for personal glory and gain, rather than assist the actual Maya people to represent themselves.
