INTERNATIONAL MAYAN LEAGUE USA, INC

The Mayan League works to ensure that the historical roots of the many centuries of conflict are addressed jointly with the Maya directly impacted by the genocide, forced displacement, and state-sponsored violations. The Mayan League seeks to assist Maya leaders to fully engage in human rights fora and use existing human rights mechanisms to safeguard their rights.

The Mayan League is working to create a space with the Maya and other indigenous peoples to come together and discuss the threats affecting our lands, territories and goods of the earth. We assist our leaders and elders to better understand the companies in our territories and the role of market based pressures and shareholders so our leaders can effectively create and lead advocacy strategies. This advocacy aims to support traditional authorities, elders, and spiritual leaders from Mexico and Guatemala who are defending the rights of our peoples and the rights of the earth while facing intimidation, criminalization, and assassination for their leadership. Our solutions are grounded in our right of self-determination and self-government and our right to participate and make decisions over our lands, territories, natural sacred elements and environment.

The Mayan League is profoundly aware of the interconnectedness between the history of genocide and wars in what is now known as Central America and current forced migration. Many people from Mexico and Central America were forced to flee between the 1970s - 1990s due to civil wars, dictatorships and genocide in the region. Indigenous peoples in Guatemala were some of the most affected as we were specifically targeted under the scorched earth policy of the government and we are the majority of the population. Today, continued unresolved conflicts related to land rights, indigenous rights, and U.S. policies have allowed for continued violence and instability in the region and a new wave of forced migration. We are profoundly concerned that the escalating crisis has accelerated a critical knowledge gap of Indigenous peoples rights and needs. As indigenous peoples with firsthand experience and knowledge of migration, we are working to address the needs we see in our community through: a) Indigenous language justice through development of indigenous language materials, resources, and increased trained indigenous language interpreters; b) Indigenous human rights policy strategy and issue campaign focused on accountability for the deaths of indigenous children at the U.S./Mexico border and family separation; c) Advocacy and action through international human rights mechanisms to protect indigenous rights in forced migration; and d) Education of indigenous peoples’ rights with a focus on the Maya and other affected indigenous peoples through the development of fact sheets, social media, and workshops.