ABSTRACT
In Guatemala, evidence of sacred places within the frame of Pre-Hispanic origins, religion and spirituality can be traced as far back as 3,500 years. Maya people who survived the Spanish Conquest retained many of their cultural traits, including native spiritual elements. Gradually, these cultural elements have become more relevant, such that by the end of the twentieth century their role was that of revindication for indigenous people. The “Accord on Identity and Rights of the Indigenous People,” part of the Peace Accords signed in 1995 between the Guatemalan government and representatives of the National Revolutionary Unity of Guatemala (URNG) that went into effect in 1996, included indigenous people’s claim to use and manage sacred places. This received national and foreign political support, as well as government recognition. During the 1999 National Referendum, however, these claims were rejected by a majority of voting Guatemalan citizens (see Warren 2002).
