The Mayan Life

The Mayan LifeBy Kiersten Hash

Introduction My name is Tala.

It means wolf. I am part of the Maya tribe.

My family and I live in the Northern Lowlands.

It is the year 1503.THIS IS MY STORY…

Journal Entry 1: Housing and food.

Today is another regular day in 1503. This morning, Mama was making maize bread and turkey for breakfast. My gravel house was starting to smell like maize. It usually smells like wood because it is made out of wood and organic materials. I live in a one room house, so when I said the WHOLE house smelled like maize, I meant it. The shorn wood on the roof was even started to smell like maize. My little brother asked Papa if I could have some Chocolate because my tribe loves Chocolate. Sadly, he said no. He was outside planting cactus fruit. I LOVE cactus fruit.

Journal Entry 1: Clothing and Government.

I am wearing a traditional Mayan Huipil, a blouse, and a long skirt. It is purple with yellow flowers on it. Mama is wearing Huipil and Pati, shorts for women. My papa was wearing a Camisa and a sombrero, and of course he was wearing pants, (That would be wrong in so many ways if he wasn’t). Anyways, my mama had to go to a meeting with the high priests. Since our government is a hierarchical, or a government ranked by authority, Mama was lucky to have this job. She says right now, since people are coming from Europe, this a hard time. The Mayans can’t fight back either because we don’t have armies. We believe in peace (at least I think). My little brother didn’t care though.

Journal Entry 2: TerrainI live in the Northern Lowlands. There are

Mountains everywhere. There are lots of volcanoes. It is actually a vast terrain because there are also lots of plains. I live in the plains. That pretty much explains why I have a flat house. I love to go to the mountains and visit my tio and tia (my aunt and uncle). They live in a house that is actually cut in the side of a mountain. I’m twelve so it is pretty amazing to me that the Mayan Territory is so wide. I have been to see a volcano erupt. There is a place for that and I almost caught FIRE.

Journal Entry 3: WeatherThere has been another drought. Papa says

that it will only last about a month. That is good because when my little brother was a baby, there was a drought that lasted about five months. It left my brother very sick. Gladly he healed. Ixchel, the goddess of healing cured him. Mama said that since it is March, it will be very hot. In the Maya, February to March is the dry season. Every night I pray for rain. Papa says that if I really want rain to come I would go to the temple and give Chaac, the God of rain some of my blood. But I don’t think I am ready to do that.

Journal Entry 3: Survival Strategies

Today Papa took my little brother out hunting for the first time today. He was SO excited. All I really cared about was having the house to myself. When they came back, Mama let me help her cook the rabbit that Papa and my little brother caught. They also caught some fish, ( which is weird, because there is a drought). I loved the dinner that we had but even when I was going to sleep I wondered how Papa and my little brother caught the fish.

Reflection 1I am nineteen years old and I am a slave of

some explorer I don’t know the name of. I was separated from my parents four years

ago. I am still taking care of my little brother, even though he is twelve now. I don’t know if my parents are alive. I miss

them though. I wanted to pray to the Great Spirit that I might see them again but

according to the explorers with the weird beards I can’t practice my religion

anymore. My little brother is also saying he is very sick. I am just afraid that he is just saying this because he is depressed. My life will never be the same as a Mayan.

Reflection 2I THINK THAT I DID VERY GOOD ON THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I TRIED MY HARDEST. IF I COULD DO THIS PROJECT AGAIN I WOULD

GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE WEATHER. I THINK THAT I WOULD GET A

97% ON THIS ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE I PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO MY WRITING. AT

THE TIME OF TALA’S LIFE EXPLORERS FROM SPAIN WERE STARTING TO ENSLAVE

MAYANS. THE MAYAN TERRITORY IS PRESENT DAY MEXICO.

Bibliography*N.d. Photograph.

http://www.marcus-hoffman.com/mayan-calendar-and-the-end-of-the-world-december-21-2012/Web. 21 Oct 2013.

*"cloth and clay: communicating culture." http://www.textilemuseum.ca/cloth_clay/explore/jungle_terrain.cfm. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct 2013.

*"Ancient Mayan Climate Weather." http://www.incamayanaztec.com/ancient-mayan-climate-weather.html. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct 2013.

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