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CMPI Past Events and News Features

August 9, 2022

2022 Indigenous Peoples Summit

August 9 has been designated by the United Nations as The
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. On this day, people across the world work to raise awareness and protect therights of the world's Indigenous Peoples.

Here in the land currently known as Nebraska, to commemorate
this day, we are joining with native nations and co-hosting an
event to honor the stewardship, knowledge, wisdom, and
cultures of all Indigenous Nations, particularly those with
populations now residing in this geographic area.
​
This event aims to highlight the importance of Indigenous
Peoples as strategic alliances in finding the solution to the
local-global problem of climate change and food sovereignty we
face as a human family.
LEARN MORE 

December 18, 2020

​Mayan Hieroglyphics 101 Online Event

​This workshop was on Mayan Hieroglyphics, a writing system used by the Maya for almost two millennia in pre-Hispanic times throughout the Mayan region. Attendees learned about the basic principles of how this writing system works as well as some notions about the Mayan calendrical systems, some of which are still in use in Guatemala today.
 
This workshop was presented by Alejandro J. Garay Herrera. Alejandro obtained a degree in archeology at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala and is currently working on his PhD in Archaeology at University of Bonn, in Germany. His area of research focuses on Guatemala, where he has done archaeological and ethnographic work on the pre-Hispanic and contemporary Mayas.

Alejandro is a scholar committed to giving back to the community who has shared their stories and knowledge on Maya identity with him.
 
100% of ticket sales went to support victims of the twin hurricanes, Eta and Iota.

​November 17, 2020

​Online premier of EPIC: A Popul Vuh Play dedicated to Daniel Maya and panel discussion

​EPIC blends ancient Mayan stories with the lives of young artists in South Omaha in a creative way using shadow puppets, live and recorded music, and a diverse cast drawn from the community. The stories and characters are compiled from story circles held in South Omaha communities and reimagined into a play. It was commissioned and presented by Great Plains Theater Commons, written by Ellen Struve, directed by Michael John Garcés.
 
Following three young artists tasked with creating a new mural, the play explores themes of family, immigration and art pulled from the experience of community members in South Omaha and from the sacred Mayan text, the Popul Vuh.

​All proceeds went to the family of Daniel Maya who was killed by the state of Guatemala for his activism in defense of Mother Earth and was declared a Maya Hero by the Q’anjob’al Maya Nation.

2019

This article by Leo Adam Biga from El Perico, describes the efforts of the Maya People in Omaha to exercise the political and spiritual sovereignty dimension of its Identity. 
https://leoadambiga.com/tag/omaha-maya-community/
https://issuu.com/thereader_elperico/docs/7.4.19filescombined  -El Perico pdf version
El Perico May 30th 2019 .  Interview from Ellen Struve about collaboration with CMPI in the play EPIC 
https://issuu.com/thereader_elperico/docs/5.30.19filescombined

2018

In September 2018, CMPI was instrumental in facilitating a summit between the Akateko, Chuj, Popti and Q’anjob’al Maya Government. This historic summit between two Indigenous Peoples Governments were supported by allies including Cultural Survival, The Guatemala Human Rights Commision, (GHRC), the Network in Solidarity With Guatemala (NISGUA) and Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim.  Below is an article by NISGUA. 
https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/nation-nation-comunidad-maya-pixan-ixim-omaha-nebraska

2017

Indigenous Peoples Self Determination -Mayans in Omaha. 2017
https://nisgua.org/accompanier-perspectives-from-huehuetenango-to-omaha-ne/

2015

When Students Become Teachers. Creighton University 2015 
https://www.creighton.edu/creightonmagazine/2015fallunewsmedstudentsmaya/
Q’anjob’al Maya nation and Omaha Nation establish diplomatic relationship 2015
https://www.omaha.com/news/local/omaha-tribe-celebrates-years-of-peace-and-friendship-with-united/article_33a2e0f9-f9b5-5a47-8b01-043584e90445.html ​

2014

GHRC visits Qanjobal Community in Omaha, NE  August 13,2014
https://ghrcusa.wordpress.com/tag/omaha/
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Conference: Summary and Reflections , by Dr. John Stone and Luis Marcos
http://www.creighton.edu/fileadmin/user/CHPE/Focus_pdfs/fall-2014.pdf

2013

In 2013, CMPI organized the first International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Conference. This was in Collaborative Efforts with what was then the Native American Studies Program under Creighton University’s Department of Anthropology.  The primary objective of the Conference was to explore ways to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN-DRIPS). This article below describes the need for Maya Languages to be recognized by social service institutions and the efforts of CMPI to address the need for Maya Language Interpreters.  The Interpreters training took place in parallel to the 2013 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. 
http://netnebraska.org/article/news/mayan-interpreters-serve-language-and-cultural-needs-omahas-guatemalan-community
Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim and University Researchers: Partnering in Community Health Development
Luis Marcos, M. Rosales, Alexander Rödlach, John Stone
https://sfaajournals.net/doi/abs/10.17730/praa.34.1.w8n1x25305v0735l

2012

Maya Health Assessment study 2012
https://www.creighton.edu/fileadmin/user/AllThingsIgnatian/Posters2012/61%20Maya.pdf