Most of the papers published in this book were first presented by anthropologists, historians, and geographers at a Latin American Studies Association meeting in 1988. The collective goal was to illuminate the role of the Indian as it relates to Guatemala s political and economic problems.
Carol Smith divides the book into two parts: “Historical Formation” and “Twentieth-Century Struggles.” Part 1 contains a paper by Christopher Lutz and George Lovell on core and periphery in colonial Guatemala and a paper by Carol Smith on a hypothesis of the origins of “the national question in Guatemala.” The remaining three chapters all deal with nineteenth-century Guatemala: Ralph Woodward on changes in the state; David McCreery on state power, indigenous communities, and land; and Robert Carmack on the state and community in Momostenango.
Part 2 has papers by Richard Adams on ethnic images and strategies in 1944; by Jim Handy on the corporate community, campesino organizations, and agrarian reform, 1950-1954; by John Watanabe on the community in the western periphery; by Carol Smith on class position and consciousness in Totonicapán in the 1970s; and by Arturo Arias on changing Indian identity.
While space does not allow a comprehensive treatment of each paper, all the contributors make important statements. For example, Smith notes (p. 5) that most Indians would like to retain particular aspects of traditional culture but integrate equally into the national economy and politics. Lutz and Lovell point out (p. 48) that the Spanish crown failed to create separate republics for Spaniards and Indians. Woodward mentions (p. 68) that the use of community lands for the production of coffee began the process of converting these lands to private holdings. McCreery reports (p. 103) that townspeople fought among themselves and with citizens of neighboring towns over land boundaries. Carmack finds (p. 126) that when Momostenango became internally divided, witchcraft replaced the more traditional means of maintaining political order. Adams relates (p. 152) that the definition of an Indian depends on both internal and external perceptions, which also has been noted by other scholars. Handy explains (p. 166) how the formation and spread of political parties was an important aspect of the 1944 revolution, and how disputes arose when various groups claimed land formerly controlled by the municipality. Watanabe states (pp. 189, 201) that some of the now-prosperous coffee growers in Chimbal began as poor men who migrated to the plantations in the late 1950s and 1960s and then used their earnings to buy land that they later planted. Chimaltecos were not as directly affected by recent civil turmoil because they rejected the violence of both sides. Smith surmises (p. 226) that the situation of the Indians of Totonicapán, who did not participate in the most recent cycle of violence, is now much better than that of those who took up arms. Arias recognizes (p. 243) that some Indians are bourgeoisie while others are rural cultivators (peasants).
A number of statements throughout the readings may raise questions for readers. For example, what is the evidence that the Indian sector nearly achieved power by armed force and that between 250,000 and 500,000 Indians participated in the war (p. 255)? Don’t the terms Indian and Ladino have significance in El Salvador and Honduras (p. 73)? Is it justifiable to claim that on the basis of family income there are no peasants in Guatemala (p. 206)?
Finally, when discussing political divisions, the various authors often do not make it clear whether they are referring to a pueblo (town), canton (ward), aldea (village), or caserío (hamlet), A glossary would have helped the reader. Because economic and political jargon makes several papers difficult to read, the book will appeal mainly to Guatemalan specialists. Although Smith states that the volume is the “first real social history of Guatemala” (p. 1), much of the relevant literature that sheds light on that history is ignored, such as the work of Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer, Norman Schwartz, Adolfo Zinser, Benjamin Paul, Duncan Earle, Gorden Bowen, George Fauriol and Eva Loser, Walter LaFeber, and Richard Fagen.
