News Archives - 2007

Kasi Clauson, an English and Women’s Studies major, spent her winter break on the Indigenous Issues in Guatemala trip. “Guatemala really enlightened me to a whole other dimension of what it means to be a woman. I usually interact in the world of women and academia, but in Guatemala I met women who had never engaged in that world and yet are just as passionate about who they are as I am.”

Twenty four students traveled to Guatemala over winter break to study the effects of five hundred years of colonization on indigenous peoples, and the contemporary issues facing the indigenous peoples, such as the struggle for land rights and the recognition as sovereign peoples.

Wendi Wheeler, a recent Women’s Studies graduate reports: “Meeting the women of Guatemala was a remarkable experience. As a graduate of the Women's Studies program, I am especially interested in how women's issues can differ so much from the United States to other countries. It's important that I try to understand how some women are more concerned with feeding their families and protecting themselves than with what I call "feminist issues." I realize that if I want to help the women of other countries, I first have to know them and respect their values and beliefs.

Professor of Women’s Studies and American Indian Studies Elise Marrubbio says, “The trip was an amazing experience. Our in-country leader, Fidel Xinico, created a truly brilliant, eight day excursion. We were introduced to Mayan elders, spiritual leaders, academics, survivors of the war, and union activists as well as Christian leaders from various denominations and governmental spokespeople. We visited towns and cities, participated in a Mayan spiritual ceremony and met a group of widows [from the war] that had created a weaving cooperative. Each day was filled with different voices, teachings, and view points on Mayan culture and the contemporary issues that face the Mayan people.”

For more information on the Women's Studies major at Augsburg, visit www.augsburg.edu/womensstudies/.