Approximately 500,000 Maya Native Americans escaped war, violence, and poverty by crossing borders, bringing their long history to blend within the 21st century United States. Success for the Maya refugees remains uncertain, but we can learn much from their strength of community and their deep culture. This talk highlights lessons derived from a decade of work in Georgia and with the Pastoral Maya national organization. He also addresses critical prospective challenges through dialog with James Loucky, who draws on his own longstanding relationships with Maya communities.

About the Lecturers: Alan Lebaron, Director of the Kennesaw State University Maya Heritage Community Project, and James Loucky, Professor of Anthropology, WWU