Crafting Maya Identity, an Exhibition and Symposium

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Encuentros 2010
SUMMER 2010
“Crafting Maya Identity,” an Exhibition and Symposium
By Charles Stapleton
The exhibition “Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary
Wood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán,
Mexico” dominated the intimate space of the Jack Olson
Gallery at Northern Illinois University from August 31
through September 25, 2009 and is slated to travel to
Trinity University in San Antonio during fall 2010, then to
Teatro Peón Contreras in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico during
early 2011. The showing featured woodcarvings by four
contemporary Yucatec-Mayan artisans: Miguel Uc Delgado,
Jesús Marcos Delgado Kú, Angel Ruíz Novelo, and Wilbert
Vázquez. Most of these highly detailed, hand-carved and
aesthetically appealing works feature subjects originally
depicted on ancient Maya sculptures, ceramics, and
manuscripts. They are typically sold at archaeological sites
in northern Yucatán to ‘cultural tourists’ on planned
education-oriented trips (a self-motivated group of
“specialist” tourists). However successful the show might
have been as a stand-alone project, the exhibition’s
curators, NIU Art History Professor Jeff Kowalski and NIU
alumna Mary Katherine Scott also chose to organize
additional educational events for different audiences.
In an effort to give the four featured artisans a more
personal voice, taped interviews of each artisan were
presented on a looping video in an interior space of the
gallery. More importantly, the artisans themselves were
flown in from Mexico, giving them the opportunity to view
the exhibition and to interact with visitors. Involving the
artisans in the exhibition itself, although by no means a
radical departure from “traditional” gallery protocol, is a
new direction for Maya art exhibitions.
Jeff Kowalski and Mary Katherine Scott linked the
exhibition with a symposium featuring scholars whose
work elucidated the significance of “tourist arts” in cultural
and historical contexts in Latin America, Africa, and North
America. Presenters Jeff Kowalski, Mary Katherine Scott
Pictured (left to right) are Yucatec-Mayan artists
Wilbert Vázquez, Miguel Uc Delgado, Angel Ruíz
Novelo, and Jesús Marcos Delgado Kú.
(University of East Anglia), Nelson Graburn (University of
California Berkeley), Christopher Steiner (Connecticut
College), Janet Catherine Berlo (University of Rochester)
and Quetzil Castañeda (OSEA; Indiana University)
discussed, in Kowalski’s words, “how indigenous aesthetic
traditions throughout the world have responded to, and
been transformed by, contact with global capitalism, the
expanding art market, and tourism.” The papers have
already appeared in a handsome catalog edited by Kowalski
titled, Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood
Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán Mexico
(DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2009).
In addition, Kowalski collaborated with Dr. Emily Prieto,
Director of the Latino Resource Center, to arrange for visits
from high school students to view the exhibition. With the
help of Janie Wilson-Cook, who designed the website for
the exhibition (www.vrc.niu.edu/maya), the artisans also
brought their work to a magnet school, The Barbour
Language Academy, and a Latino Community organization,
La Voz Latina, in Rockford, Illinois. The Maya artisans also
discussed their work with NIU School of Art students at a
sculpture demonstration, and with NIU Latino students at
the Center.
continued on page 2
Table of Contents
Page
1
“Crafting Maya Identity,” an Exhibition and
Symposium, By Charles Stapleton
3
NIU Welcomes Nobel Laureate
Rigoberta Menchú, By María Verónica Polit
4
Rigoberta Menchú: Past and Present,
By María Verónica Polit
5
9
9
Faculty Publications and Activities
CLLAS Activities
CLLAS Research and Travel Awards
Artists’ works on display at the Jack Olson Gallery,
Northern Illinois University.
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continued from page 1
Of special note, Maya artists presented a School of Art Woodshop for NIU students.
Using pieces of cedar wood and woodworking
tools (gravers, chisels, knives, etc.) they
demonstrated the process and techniques
of creating the types of wood
sculptures featured in the exhibition.
They began by using pre-made
drawings, or sketching freehand,
to create the initial outlines for
the subject matter of their piece.
They then proceeded to cut away
larger areas of extraneous wood
until they reached the general
contours of the figure or design
they were executing. At that
point, they shifted to finer, more
delicate engraving, chiseling, and
cutting to add the final detail and
finishing touches to the carving.
Angel Ruiz Novelo's version of Lintel 25 from
Yaxchilan, Chiapas, showing Lady K'abal Xook
with a "vision serpent" and royal ancestor.
Jesus Marcos Delgado Kú's version of the ruler
K'inich Janaab Pakal II's sarcophagus lid from
Palenque, Chiapas.
2
Looking back on the exhibition and
related events, Kowalski shared some
personal reflections, “All in all, I think this
was an extremely worthwhile effort. I’m glad
that artisans who have been creating superbly
Miguel Uc Delgado, based
crafted and aesthetically attractive sculptures had
on Altar 8 from Tikal, Guatemala,
showing a bound captive
an opportunity to have their work recognized and
resting on the personified
taken seriously. I’m also quite pleased to have had
Tikal place name.
the opportunity to collaborate with Mary
Katherine
Scott.”
_______________
Charles Stapleton is a M.A. student in Art History and Anthropology.
Wilbert Vázquez represents a personal interpretation
of the Maya Maize God depicted in hieroglyphic images,
with additional allusions to fertility.
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NIU Welcomes Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú
By María Verónica Polit
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, visited NIU on
September 22, 2009. Menchú received the Prize in 1992 for her
tireless fight for the rights of indigenous people in her home
country of Guatemala and abroad. Her visit was organized by the
Latino Resource Center with the support of several offices on campus. Menchu’s visit included interaction with students, community
members and faculty at the Center for Latino and Latin American
Studies. While at the Center, Rigoberta Menchú was interviewed by
the Univisión television network, and she talked about Guatemala,
her life and current projects. In the evening, Menchú gave an
emotional public lecture before an audience of more than 1,000
people in the Duke Ellington Ballroom, followed by a question-andanswer session and a book-signing session.
Rigoberta Menchú’s visit to campus was remarkable in different
ways. Her presence caused excitement among students and faculty
alike. People reacted to her in different ways. Some clearly support
and admire Menchú, while others are more skeptical about her past
and present contributions. Before leaving, Rigoberta Menchú
gracefully thanked the NIU community and especially the Latino
Resource Center Director, Dr. Emily Prieto, for making her visit to
DeKalb possible.
During her visit to the Center, the Nobel Laureate spent time with
students in a casual environment, and later attended a formal
reception that included interaction with faculty. Professor Michael
Gonzales, the Director of the Center for Latino and Latin American
Studies, presented Menchú with an award on behalf of the DeKalb
Interfaith Network, a community organization dedicated to social
and human rights, for her lifelong commitment to the welfare of
indigenous people.
Menchú’s public lecture was emotional from beginning to end. She
talked about her family’s travails, and the audience appeared moved
by her stories of displacement and murder. Maria Zamudio, a
student who attended the lecture, thought that Menchú was an
inspiration: “She made the choice to become a victor and not a
victim.” In addition to telling her story, Rigoberta Menchú
discussed her vision for a better world, one that included
community involvement, harmony with nature, and peace.
Rigoberta Menchú speaking at the Duke Ellington Ballroom,
Holmes Student Center, Northern Illinois University on
September 22, 2009. NIU student Sandra Díaz served as
interpreter.
Menchú challenged audience members to become an integral part of
their communities’ life. According to Menchú, young people today
lack a connection to others around them. Despite the
existence of technology that facilitates communication, individuals
have become isolated from the places where they live and the
natural world. Student Sean Kowalski considered Menchú a
passionate advocate for the environment.
During the question–and-answer portion of the evening, Menchú
discussed her work with indigenous Guatemalans whose lives have
been torn apart by the country’s civil war. She said that her
organization, The Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation, has been
involved in numerous human rights initiatives, community
development projects, education, and civic engagement. The
Foundation’s current projects, she indicated, included the creation
and maintenance of schools and medical centers. Menchú’s
honoraria from speaking engagements and other
activities have provided the funding for her Foundation.
Some of the questions after the lecture focused on controversial
topics. A member of the audience addressed the participation of the
United States government in the civil war in Guatemala. This led to
a discussion of the training of Latin American military personnel at
the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation
(formally known as the School of the Americas), a highly
contentious subject. Another participant asked about the coup
d’état that removed former Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, in
June, 2009. In response, Menchú said that there had been reports
of human rights violations, and that she had been invited to
Honduras as a mediator. Some students, like Andrea Sánchez,
thought that this portion of the evening gave the audience a better
understanding of Rigoberta Menchú’s career. Other students felt
that the speech was disconnected from the politics that surround
the image of the Nobel Laureate.
Encuentros 2010
Rigoberta Menchú speaking at the Duke Ellington Ballroom.
Rigoberta Menchú greeting members of the audience and signing
autographs following her lecture.
_______________
María Verónica Polit is a M.A. student in Political Science.
3
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Rigoberta Menchú Explains Her Past and Present to
Chicago’s WBGO Reporters By María Verónica Polit
During her visit to NIU, Rigoberta Menchú Tum granted an
interview to Chicago’s Univisión affiliate WBGO news anchor and
reporter Enrique Rodríguez. The interview focused on her
background, and her present endeavors.
The 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate grew up in a Quiché (K’iche’)
indigenous community in the northern highlands of Guatemala.
Although her fondest memories are of her mountain village, she
and her family were forced to migrate every year in search of work
on the plantations in the coastal areas. The entire family including children, did back-breaking labor for several months a year for
minimal wages.
At the time of Menchú’s birth in 1959, Guatemala was in turmoil.
Fear of Communism served as the pretext for successive
governments’ violent subjugation of indigenous communities
beginning in the mid-1960s. At the same time, guerrilla
movements made the highlands, where Menchú and her family
lived, the base for their operations, and the region became a
battleground. In the interview, she remarked on the Guatemalan
military’s wide-spread use of torture and the forced
disappearance of 50,000 individuals over the course of the civil
war’s 36-year history. Menchú did not detail her own tragic story
during the interview, but said that the public needs to focus on the
problems that Guatemala’s indigenous majority still faces as a
result of this conflict.
Menchú was asked about the controversy surrounding her 1982
biography which recounts in vivid detail the horror of the
Guatemalan civil war through her eyes. Attacked for its factual
inconsistencies by critics, she told
Rodríguez that her story needs to be
read as a testimonial about living
through a terrible conflict.
Rigoberta Menchú sitting down for a television interview with
reporters from Chicago Univisión affiliate WBGO.
Guatemala still systematically excludes indigenous people from
political representation. The very people accused of leading the
atrocities against the indigenous remain important politicians.
Political representation for the indigenous population falls short
of the goals set by the peace agreements of 1996, and resistance by
the political establishment to the full implementation of these
accords creates frustration and recrimination, which motivates
Rigoberta Menchú to continue her
work through the
reconciliation process.
“...her story needs
to be read as a
testimonial about
living through a
terrible conflict”
Menchú continues to fight for
indigenous rights through her
speaking engagements and
foundation work, and as the United
Nation’s Goodwill Ambassador and
official spokesperson for the U.N.’s
International Decade for Indigenous
Peoples. Inspired by the election of
Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first
indigenous president, she became,
in 2007, Guatemala’s first
indigenous and first woman
candidate for the presidency. Although she won only three
percent of the vote and was subsequently eliminated in the
election’s first round, she continues to be excited by politics.
Menchú told Rodríguez that she enjoys a special bond with
Morales, and they periodically talk about a variety of issues.
Circumstances keep Rigoberta Menchú in the forefront of
Guatemalan politics. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
and the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation have
concluded that, despite government claims to the contrary,
4
The issues that Menchú champions,
and which led to her winning the
Nobel Peace Prize continue to be
relevant. Conflicts between
traditional elites and indigenous
populations have intensified in
Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador,
Bolivia, Colombia and Peru.
Poverty and inequality have shaken
democratic foundations and
contributed to social and political
turmoil throughout Latin America.
American interests have sparked
nationalist sentiments that clash with complex social, economic
and political divisions in each country. The existence of truth
commissions in Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina, Chile and
Peru has unearthed information that is both curative and divisive.
Without a doubt, Rigoberta Menchú remains an important
public figure.
To watch the interview, visit,
http://www.univision.com/content/videoplayer.jhtml?cid=2098351.
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2009 Faculty Publications and Activities
Gregory Beyer
Assistant Professor, School of Music
Publications
“Focus Day 2009: The Global Economy,” Percussive Notes 47,
no. 4: 6-17.
Performances
Performed with Due East the U.S. premiere of Lend/Lease by
David Lang at the 37th National Flute Association Convention,
New York City, NY, August 15, 2009.
Performed with Due East the U.S. premiere of Formas del viento
by Alejandro Viñao at the 37th National Flute Association
Convention, New York City, NY, August 15, 2009.
Performed with Robert Chappell and the NIU Percussion
Ensemble at the 1st Annual Percussion Ensemble Festival of Costa
Rica, San José, Costa Rica, May 28, 2009.
Premiered with Due East Geometry V by Eric Simonson at the
2009 SEAMUS Conference, Fort Wayne, IN, April 18, 2009.
Premiered with Due East Recall Coordinator by James Romig at
the 2009 New Music Festival, Western Illinois University,
Macomb, IL, March 9, 2009.
Professional Activities
Hosted PASIC’s “The Global Economy,” a focus day event,
Indianapolis, IN, November 11, 2009.
Hosted PAS Illinois Chapter’s “Day of Percussion,” NIU School of
Music, DeKalb, IL, January 24, 2009.
Recognitions
Percussion ensemble competition winner, along with members of
the NIU Percussion Ensemble, at the 2009 Percussive Arts Society
International Convention (PASIC), Indianapolis, IN, November
12, 2009.
Sarah A. Blue
Assistant Professor, Geography
Papers Presented
“Arriving in New Orleans: Post-Katrina Latino Labor
Recruitment,” presented at the XXVIII International Congress of
the Latin American Studies Association, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
June 11-14, 2009.
“International Solidarity as a Household Survival Mechanism?
International Missions, Remittances and Socio-Economic
Equality,” presented at the Measure of a Revolution: Cuba, 19592009 Conference, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, May 7-9,
2009.
“Systems of Subcontracting Latino Labor Recruitment: Evidence
from New Orleans,” presented at the 2009 Conference of Latin
American Geographers, Grenada, Nicaragua, January 7-9, 2009.
Grants and Fellowships
Continued with National Science Foundation Geography and
Regional Science Program Grant No. 0723398 “Latino Labor
Migration and the Transformation of Post-Katrina New Orleans.”
Encuentros 2010
Professional Activities
Organized a panel titled, “Latino Migration to the US: Impacts on
Equality at Home and Abroad,” at the XXVIII International
Congress of the Latin American Studies Association, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, June 11-14, 2009.
Chaired, and co-organized, a panel titled “Immigration Research
in Geography: Theory and Practice” at the 2009 Conference of
Latin American Geographers, Grenada, Nicaragua, January 7-9,
2009.
Louise Ciallella
Associate Professor, Foreign Languages
and Literatures
Publications
"De carne y hueso: Constructing Spanish Women in Forgotten
Bodies of Work from the 1890s." In Beatriz Ferrús and Núria
Calafell (eds.), Escribir con el cuerpo. Colección Cuerpos que
cuentan - Volumen I. Grupo Investigador Cuerpo y Textualidad.
Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona/Editorial UOC.
Papers Presented
"Princesas-pantalla: proyección de deseos de cambio en
definiciones de género sexual en la España del fin-de-siglo,"
presented at the Mid-America Conference on Hispanic Literature,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, November 5-7, 2009.
Winifred Creamer
Presidential Research Professor,
Anthropology
Publications
Review of Pattern and Process in Cultural Evolution by Stephen
Shennan (ed.), Culture and Agriculture 31, no. 2: 95-96. (With
Kirsten Garwood)
Review of Social Violence in the Prehispanic American Southwest
by Deborah L. Nichols and Patricia L. Crown (eds.), Kiva 74, no.
4: 480-482.
Papers Presented
“Far from the Shore: Maritime Resources in Late Archaic Site in
the Norte Chico, Peru,” presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of
the Society for American Archaeology, Atlanta, GA, April 22-26,
2009. (With Jonathan Haas and Edward Jakaitis)
“Camping and Farming: 2008 Excavations at Caballete, Peru,”
presented at the University of Michigan’s 37th Annual Meeting of
the Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeology
and Ethnohistory, Ann Arbor, MI, March 21-22, 2009. (With
Jonathan Haas)
Professional Activities
Served as discussant for the session, “Complexity in the
Northeast” at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society for
American Archaeology, Atlanta, GA, April 22-26, 2009.
Presented “Ancient Peru,” a talk to the 6th grade at Eagle Hill
Middle School, Syracuse, NY, May, 2009.
5
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Recognitions
Appointed as a grants reviewer for the National Science
Foundation.
Selected as a panel member for the NSF Graduate Research
Fellowship Program.
Appointed reviewer for the Journal of Archeological Science.
Selected to the editorial board of Culture and Agriculture.
Mayra C. Daniel
Assistant Professor, Literacy Education
Publications
“Educational Dilemmas in Guatemala: Is it Really the Land of
Eternal Spring?” Bilingual Basics: The newsletter of TESOL’s
Bilingual Interest Section 11, no. 1.
“Is There a Need for a Language Policy and Heightened
Multilingualism in TESOL? Survey Results,” Bilingual Basic: The
Newsletter of TESOL’s Bilingual Interest Section 11, no. 1. (With
Shelley K. Taylor, Patrick H. Smith, and David Schwarzer)
“Collaboration and Discovery: A Pilot Study of Leveling Criteria
for Books Written in Spanish for K-3rd Grade.” In Francine
Falk-Ross, Mary Beth Sampson, Susan Szabo, and Martha Foote
(eds.), Literacy Issues During Changing Times: A Call to Action.
College Reading Association Yearbook: Vol. 30. Commerce, TX:
Texas A & M University-Commerce. (With Verna Rentsch)
“Learning in Guatemala: What Does Schooling Foster?”
Encuentros 2009. DeKalb, IL: Center for Latino and Latin
American Studies, Northern Illinois University.
Papers Presented
“A Report of Teacher Preparation Efforts in Guatemala, Year
2008,” presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association of
Literacy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte, N.C., November
4-8, 2009.
“Biliteracy in America’s Classrooms: Helping Teachers Meet the
Challenge,” presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the
Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte,
N.C., November 4-8, 2009.
“Young ELLs at K-2nd Are Biliterate: Let’s Understand What They
Are Doing, and Help Them Enjoy the Process,” presented at the
36th Annual Northern Illinois University College of Education and
Northern Illinois Reading Council Summer Reading Conference,
Sugar Grove, IL, June 19, 22-25, 2009.
“Biliteracy for Young ELLs,” presented at the Early Literacy
Pre-Conference Institute, 54th Annual Convention of the
International Reading Association, Minneapolis, MN, May 3-7,
2009.
“And the Winner is…,” presented at the What Every Reading
Specialist Needs to Know about Literacy Coaching Workshop,
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, April 24, 2009. (With
Chris Carger and Melanie Koss)
“From ‘Nice Words’ to Action: TESOL/BEIS Multilingualism, and
Language Policy,” presented at the 42nd Annual TESOL
Convention and Exhibit, Denver, CO, March 26-28, 2009. (With
Shelley Taylor, David Schwarzer, and Patrick Smith)
6
“Where There’s a Second Language There’s a First!” presented at
the 42nd Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit, Denver, CO,
March 26-28, 2009. (With Shelley Taylor, David Schwarzer, and
Patrick Smith)
“Educar y aprender en Guatemala: Un arcoiris de posibilidades,”
presented at the 7th International Literacy Conference, Guatemala
City, Guatemala, February 18-20, 2009. (With Carolyn Johnson)
“Advocating for Bilingual Parents at Nelson School,” presented at
the 32nd Annual Statewide Conference for Teachers Serving
Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students, Oakbrook, IL,
January 10, 2009. (With Verna Rentsch and Perla Stefanski)
“The Bilingual Context of Education in Morocco,” presented at the
32nd Annual Statewide Conference for Teachers Serving
Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students, Oakbrook, IL,
January 9, 2009. (With Alexis Ball)
Professional Activities
Delivered “Every Teacher is a Teacher of English Language
Learners: Preparing Illinois Teachers for a Diverse New World,” a
keynote address to the College of Dean’s Annual Meeting,
Bloomington, IL, June 25, 2009.
Ibis Gómez-Vega
Associate Professor, English
Publications
“Inscriptions of Race, Class, and Gender in Mariana
Romo-Carmona’s Living at Night.” Confluencia: Revista
Hispánica de Cultura y Literatura 24, no. 2: 40-52.
“Losing Everything in David Wong Louie’s ‘In a World Small
Enough,’” Short Story 16, no. 2: 63-77.
Michael J. Gonzales
Distinguished Research Professor, History
Director, Center for Latino and Latin
American Studies
Publications
“Imagining Mexico in 1921: Visions of the Revolutionary State and
Society in the Centennial Celebration in Mexico City,” Mexican
Studies/Estudios Mexicanos 25, no. 2: 247-271.
Professional Activities
Served as commentator for Sandra C. Mendiola García’s paper
“Defenders of Their Rights: Street Vendors and Conflict in Puebla,
1969-1977,” presented at the Newberry Library Labor History
Seminar, Chicago, IL, February 13, 2009.
Anne Hanley
Associate Professor, History
Papers Presented
“Public Health in São Paulo, Brazil 1834-1914,” presented at the
Workshop on Economics and Biodemography of Aging and
Health, Center for Population Economics, The Booth School of
Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, November 13, 2009.
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“Pests and Pestilence: Public Health in Belle-Époque Brazil,
1889-1914,” presented at the Economic History Association 2009
Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ, September 11-13, 2009.
“Municipal Finance in São Paulo, Brazil 1822-1930,” presented at
the Department of Economics Economic History Seminar,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, May 14, 2009.
Grants and Fellowships
Received a Faculty Summer Research and Artistry Grant from the
Northern Illinois University Graduate School to work on a
manuscript titled, “Municipal Finance and Socioeconomic
Development in São Paulo, Brazil 1822-1930.”
Professional Activities
Presented “Lula, Brazil, and the New Left in Latin America,” a
lecture to the Graduate Program in International Finance and
Business, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, April 21, 2009.
Kristin Huffine
Assistant Professor, History
Papers Presented
“Jesuit Science in Colonial Latin America, Sixteenth through
Eighteenth Centuries,” presented at the History of Science Society
2009 Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, November 19, 2009.
Professional Activities
Gave a seminar presentation on “Assessing the Sacred in the
Colonial Borderlands: Jesuit and Indigenous Faith at the Margins
of the Spanish Empire,” at the Newberry Library, Chicago, IL,
April 17, 2009.
Jeff Kowalski
Professor, School of Art
Publications
Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures from
the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico. DeKalb, IL: Northern
Illinois University Press.
“Imaging the Maya: Carvings, Carvers, Contexts, and Messages.”
In Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures from
the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico. (With Mary Katherine Scott)
“Other Carvings in the Exhibition.” In Crafting Maya Identity:
Contemporary Wood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of
Yucatán, Mexico. (With Quetzil Castañeda)
“‘Thrice Built’: Uxmal and Constructions of Maya Identity.” In
Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures from
the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico.
“Visualizing Culture, Society, and Ideology in Mesoamerica: Books
on Olmec, Classic Maya, and Teotihuacán Archaeology and Art,”
Latin American Research Review 44, no. 2: 193-207.
Papers Presented
“‘Thrice Built’: Uxmal and Constructions of Maya Identity,”
presented at the Northern Illinois University’s Symposium on
Globalization, Tourism, Cultural Identity, Authenticity and Art,
DeKalb, IL, September 19, 2009.
Encuentros 2010
Professional Activities
Co-organized, moderated, and participated, in the Northern
Illinois University’s Symposium on Globalization, Tourism,
Cultural Identity, Authenticity, and Art, DeKalb, IL, September 19,
2009. (Co-organizer Mary Katherine Scott)
Co-curated the exhibition “Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary
Wood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico” held
at the Jack Olson Gallery, School of Art, Northern Illinois
University, DeKalb, IL, August 31-September 24, 2009.
(Co-curator Mary Katherine Scott)
Eloy E. Merino
Associate Professor, Foreign Languages
and Literatures
Publications
“La resurrección en cada línea”: mundos posibles en cuatro
poetas asturianos contemporáneous.” In C. X. A. Trabanco (ed.),
Poetas asturianos para el siglo XXI. Gijón, Asturias: Ediciones
Trea.
“Si yo fuera una hermosa princesa: la truncada esfera de
posibilidades en la poesía de Juana Borrero,” Círculo. Revista de
Cultura. 38: 48-59.
Review of Displacements and Transformations in Caribbean
Cultures by Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert and Ivette
Romero-Cesareo (eds.), Hispania 92, no. 2: 268-89.
Review of Sacred Spaces and Religious Traditions in Oriente,
Cuba by Jualyne E. Dodson. Hispania 92, no. 3: 511-12.
Eugene Perry
Professor, Geology and Environmental
Geosciences
Publications
“Geological Field Experiences in Mexico: An Effective and
Efficient Model for Enabling Middle and High School Science
Teachers to Connect with Their Burgeoning Hispanic
Populations.” In Steven J. Witmeyer, David W. Mogk, and Eric J.
Pyle (eds.), Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and
Modern Approaches: GSA Special Paper 461. (With Kathleen
Kitts, Rosa Leal-Bautista, and Guadalupe Velásquez-Oliman)
“Groundwater Geochemistry of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico:
Constraints on Stratigraphy and Hydrogeology,” Journal of
Hydrogeology 367: 27-40. (With Adina Paytan, Bianca Pedersen,
and Guadalupe Velázquez-Oliman)
“Características del acuífero regional de la Península de Yucatán
inferidas por la química de agua subterránea,” Conacyt – Grupo
Interdisciplinario del Agua (http://red-tematicaconacyt.blogspot.com/2009/05/lista-de-las-ponenciasproximamente-en.html) (With Guadelupe Velázquez-Oliman,
Adina Paytan, Bianca Pedersen, and NiklasWagner)
“Fracture-Controlled Paleohydrology in a Map-Scale Detachment
Fold: Insights from the Analysis of Fluid Inclusions in Calcite and
Quartz Veins,” Journal of Structural Geology 31: 1490-1510.
(With Mark P. Fischer, I. Camilo Higuera-Díaz, Mark A. Evans,
Liliana Lefticariu)
7
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Papers Presented
“Metagenomic Analysis of Microbial Communities in Deep Karst
Sinkholes in Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico,” Abstract No: 156621,
presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central
Section of the Geological Society of America, Northern Illinois
University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009. (With Annie Moore,
Melissa Lenczewski, and Melvin Duvall)
“A Continuing Ion Geochemistry and Sr Isotope Study of the
Extent of the K/T Ejecta Blanket in the Yucatán Peninsula,
Mexico,” Abstract No: 156025, presented at the 43rd Annual
Meeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of
America, Northern Illinois University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3,
2009. (With Niklas Wagner, Guadalupe Velázquez-Oliman, and
Adina Paytan)
“Using Activity Systems Analysis for Monitoring Teacher Action
Research,” Abstract No. 156581, presented at the 43rd Annual
Meeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of
America, Northern Illinois University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3,
2009. (With Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, Kathleen Kitts, and Cecil M.
Smith)
“Teacher’s Integration of Literacy Strategies in Geoscience
Education: A Multidisciplinary Initiative,” Abstract No. 156444,
presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central
Section of the Geological Society of America, Northern Illinois
University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009. (With Francine
Falk-Ross, Solanlly Ochoa-Angrino, Cecil M. Smith, Katherine
Kitts, and Lisa Yamagata-Lynch)
“Promoting Secondary Students’ Identity Development in
Geoscience Education,” Abstract No. 156524, presented at the
43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section of the
Geological Society of America, Northern Illinois University,
Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009. (With Cecil Smith, Kathleen Kitts,
Francine Falk-Ross, Solanlly Ochoa-Angrino, and Lisa
Yamagata-Lynch)
“Características del acuífero regional de la Península de Yucatán
inferidas por la química de agua subterránea,” presented at the
Red Nacional de Agua del CONACYT, La primera reunión de la
red temática del agua, Cocoyoc, Morelos, Mexico, January 23,
2009. (With Guadalupe Velázquez-Oliman, Adina Paytan, Bianca
Pedersen, and Niklas Wagner)
Professional Activities
Delivered “Cenotes y otros aspectos de la Hidrologia de la
Peninsula de Yucatán,” an invited presentation at the Foro
Regional sobre Conservación y Manejo Sustentable de Cenotes en
la Peninsula de Yucatán, Merida, Mexico, August 21, 2009.
Co-Chaired 43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section of
the Geological Society of America, Northern Illinois University,
Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009.
Leila Porter
Associate Professor, Anthropology
Publications
“Social Behavior of Callimico: Mating Strategies and Infant Care.”
In Susan M. Ford, Lesa C. Davis, and Leila M. Porter (eds.), The
Smallest Anthropoids: The Marmoset and Callimico Radiation.
New York: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. (With Paul A.
Garber)
“Exudate Feeding in Callimico goeldii,” American Journal of
Primatology 71, no. 2: 120-29. (With Paul A. Garber and Edilio
Nacimento)
Papers Presented
“Mycophagy and Home Range Use in Callimico goeldii.”
presented at the 32nd Meeting of the American Society of
Primatologists, San Diego, CA, September 20, 2009.
(With Paul A. Garber)
Rodrigo Villanueva
Assistant Professor, School of Music
Publications
“Transcribir: Imitar y asimilar para después poder innovar,”
Músico Pro 16, no. 7: 54-55.
“Batería Classic Series de DW,” Músico Pro 16, no. 7: 10-11.
Performances
Performed as a guest artist for the NIU Jazz Faculty Combo at the
64th Annual Midwest Clinic and International Band and
Orchestra Conference, Chicago, IL, December 17, 2009.
Performed with the Eddie Gómez Trio at Papabeto Jazz Bistro,
Mexico City, Mexico, December 4-5, 2009.
Performed with the Eddie Gómez Trio at the II JazzUV
International Jazz Festival, Xapala, Mexico, December 3, 2009.
Performed with the Eddie Gómez Trio at the XV San Miguel de
Allende International Jazz Festival, San Miguel de Allende,
Mexico, November 28, 2009.
Performed with Edgar Dorantes Jazz Quartet at El Zinco Jazz
Club in Mexico City, Mexico, July 2, 2009.
Performed with Ed Saindon and the Rodrigo Villanueva Jazz Trio
at The House Café, DeKalb, IL, April 20, 2009.
Performed with the Stefan Karlsson Trio at Recital Hall, Northern
Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, February 18, 2009.
Performed with the Rodrigo Villanueva Jazz Trio at La
Encrucijada in Querétaro, Mexico. January 9-10, 2009.
Performed with the Bernal-Verástegui-Villanueva Jazz Trio at El
Zinco Jazz Club in Mexico City, Mexico, January 2-3, 2009.
Grants and Fellowships
Received the 2008-2009 Lillian ("Pauline") Cobb Faculty Travel
Fellowship for International Teaching and Service to develop
summer study collaborations with Jazz studies programs at
various Mexican universities.
The Smallest Anthropoids: The Marmoset and Callimico
Radiation. New York: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.
(Edited with Susan M. Ford and Lesa C. Davis)
8
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CLLAS Activities
Robert Marcelin Memorial Scholarship
Center Sponsored Events
The Robert Marcelin Memorial Scholarship was endowed by
employees of Ameritech Corporation to honor the late Mr.
Marcelin, a former co-worker and friend who graduated from
Northern Illinois University. The committee, composed of Center
faculty associates and former Marcelin colleague Ms. Alison
Thomson, meets annually to select an outstanding student of
Latino heritage.
August 31-September 25, 2009. The Center co-sponsored an
exhibition at the School of Art’s Jack Olson Gallery titled,
“Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures from
the Puuc Region, Yucatán.”
September 19, 2009. The Center co-sponsored the
international symposium titled, “Globalization, Tourism, Cultural
Identity, Authenticity, and Art."
Jeff Kowalski, Ph.D. (standing) with symposium speakers
Mary Katherine Scott, Quetzil Castañeda, Janet Berlo,
Christopher Steiner, and Nelson Graburn.
Pictured from left to right are Alison Thomson, the 2009-10
Marcelin Award recipient Sandra Diaz, and CLLAS Director
Michael Gonzales
Center for Latino and Latin American
Studies Latino Scholarship
September 22, 2009. The Center co-sponsored Guatemalan
human rights activist Rigoberta Menchú’s visit to NIU. While
here, Menchú met with students, was interviewed by WBGO,
Chicago’s Univisión affiliate, gave a public lecture and attended a
reception in her honor at the Latino Center.
Since 2006, the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies has
sponsored an undergraduate student scholarship competition for
students of Latino heritage. Applicants for this award must
submit a statement of career goals, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and
demonstrate satisfactory progress towards degree completion.
The 2009-10 award went to Aurelia Nevarez, a speech and
language pathology major, whose career goal is to apply her
bi-cultural/bilingual background to help children develop their
communication and expressive skills.
Rigoberta Menchú speaking with students at the Latino Center.
Dr. Gonzales with 2009 CLLAS Latino Scholarship
recipient Aurelia Nevarez.
Encuentros 2010
Rigoberta Menchú
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Clockwise, from top left: Rigoberta
Menchú conversing with Professor Jeff
Kowalski.
Rigoberta Menchú pictured with (left to
right) NIU professors J. D. Bowers,
Sarah Blue, and Linda Saborío.
Rigoberta Menchú saying a few words at
a reception held in her honor.
Rigoberta Menchú with Professor
Francisco Solares-Larrave.
Center Sponsored Events continued
October 12, 2009. The Department of Geography and the
Center for Latino and Latin American Studies co-sponsored a
public showing of Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s “The Garden,” a
2008 documentary. The film depicts the controversy
surrounding a 14 acre community garden created on a burned out
site devastated by the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The work of Latino
and African-American residents, the garden was contested by
local authorities and real estate magnates and led to a public
confrontation. The episode served as inspiration for urban garden
activists throughout the country. A panel discussion followed the
screening. Participating were geography professors Scott Smith
and Sarah Blue (CLLAS faculty associate), geography graduate
student Jessica Hayes, and the coordinator of the Little Village
Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) in Chicago,
Kimberly Wasserman. The Little Village section of Chicago has a
Latino majority population, and residents have organized a highly
successful urban garden experiment that has garnered public attention and scholarly interest. The discussion focused on issues
raised by the film and on Little Village community gardens.
Speakers Sponsored by the Center
March 23, 2009. The Graduate Colloquium Committee, the
Departments of Anthropology and History, the Latino Resource
Center, and the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies,
co-sponsored Karen E. Richman, director for Migration and
Border Studies, University of Notre Dame, in a colloquium event
held at the Latino Center. Her public lecture titled “The Meaning
of Participation in a Globalized World: Continued Migrant
Engagement in Political, Social, Religious, and Economic Affairs
10
in Haiti and Mexico” examined the phenomena of transnational
cultural identity of Latin American immigrants to the United
States. Her graduate seminar was an opportunity for faculty and
graduate students to review and discuss her recent book,
Migration and Vodou (University Press of Florida, 2005).
October 6, 2009. The Center sponsored Christina Bueno,
assistant professor of History, Northeastern Illinois University, for
a public lecture on the creation of Mexico’s first archeology
museum and indigenous reaction to appropriation of local artifacts.
November 5, 2009. The Environmental Studies Program and
the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies co-sponsored
Rosa M. Leal-Bautista, research associate, Centro de Investigación
Científica de Yucatán, for a lecture titled, “The Mexican Caribe,
Not Just for Tourists … but for Geological and Environmental
Research.” Her lecture featured her research on the impact of
regional development on water quality in Yucatán aquifers.
November 9-10, 2009. The Graduate Colloquium Committee
and the Center for Latino and Latin American co-sponsored
Jeffrey R. Parsons, professor of Anthropology emeritus and
Museum of Anthropology curator emeritus, University of
Michigan, in a colloquium event held at the Latino Center. His
public lecture titled, “Vanishing Landscapes and Vanishing
Lifeways: The Impact of Development and Modernization on
Traditional Culture in the Valley of Mexico” examined the impact
of urban development on pre-Columbian archeological sites in the
Valley of Mexico. His graduate seminar on maguey utilization in
highland Mexico looked at the traditional use of natural maguey
fibers by indigenous communities over the centuries.
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CLLAS Research and Travel Awards
Grants Awarded to Faculty in FY 2010
Melissa Lenczewski (Geology and Environmental
Geosciences) – To gather and analyze well-water samples
located in the Yucatán for the purpose of testing the region’s
aquifer for contaminants, and determining the origins of
pollutants.
Eugene Perry (Geology and Environmental
Geosciences) – To research the geology and environmental
hydrogeochemistry of groundwater systems of the southern
Campeche aquifer located in Yucatán state, Mexico and northern
Guatemala.
Graduate Student Research Grants
Awarded in FY 2010
Andrés Híjar (History) – To conduct archival research on
the mining industry of Parral-Santa Bárbara region of Chihuahua,
Mexico during the revolutionary period.
Cheyenne Morgan (Geology and Environmental
Geosciences/Anthropology) – To investigate
contaminants in Yucatán peninsula groundwater, and to research
sustainable ground-water management practices for affected
communities.
Linda Saborío (Foreign Languages and
Literatures) – To explore the representation of alterity and
identity in Mexican women (im)migrant experiences through the
works of contemporary female border-region playwrights.
Encuentros 2010
11
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PRSRT STD
NONPROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY
Center for Latino and Latin American Studies
Northern Illinois University
515 Garden Road
DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2853
Center for Latino and Latin American Studies
Phone: (815) 753-1531
Fax: (815) 753-1651
Email: latinostudies@niu.edu
Website: www.niu.edu/latinostudies/
Director: Michael J. Gonzales
Editors
John R. Alexander and Michael J. Gonzales
Northern Illinois University is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution