“Crafting Maya Identity,” an Exhibition and SymposiumBy Charles Stapleton

SUMMER 2010

ncuentros 2010EThe exhibition “Crafting Maya Identity: ContemporaryWood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico” dominated the intimate space of the Jack OlsonGallery at Northern Illinois University from August 31through September 25, 2009 and is slated to travel to Trinity University in San Antonio during fall 2010, then toTeatro Peón Contreras in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico duringearly 2011. The showing featured woodcarvings by fourcontemporary Yucatec-Mayan artisans: Miguel Uc Delgado,Jesús Marcos Delgado Kú, Angel Ruíz Novelo, and WilbertVázquez. Most of these highly detailed, hand-carved andaesthetically appealing works feature subjects originally depicted on ancient Maya sculptures, ceramics, and manuscripts. They are typically sold at archaeological sitesin northern Yucatán to ‘cultural tourists’ on planned education-oriented trips (a self-motivated group of “specialist” tourists). However successful the show mighthave been as a stand-alone project, the exhibition’s curators, NIU Art History Professor Jeff Kowalski and NIUalumna Mary Katherine Scott also chose to organize additional educational events for different audiences.

In an effort to give the four featured artisans a more personal voice, taped interviews of each artisan were presented on a looping video in an interior space of thegallery. More importantly, the artisans themselves wereflown in from Mexico, giving them the opportunity to viewthe exhibition and to interact with visitors. Involving theartisans in the exhibition itself, although by no means aradical departure from “traditional” gallery protocol, is anew direction for Maya art exhibitions.

Jeff Kowalski and Mary Katherine Scott linked the exhibition with a symposium featuring scholars whosework elucidated the significance of “tourist arts” in culturaland historical contexts in Latin America, Africa, and NorthAmerica. Presenters Jeff Kowalski, Mary Katherine Scott

Pictured (left to right) are Yucatec-Mayan artistsWilbert Vázquez, Miguel Uc Delgado, Angel RuízNovelo, and Jesús Marcos Delgado Kú.

(University of East Anglia), Nelson Graburn (University ofCalifornia Berkeley), Christopher Steiner (Connecticut College), Janet Catherine Berlo (University of Rochester)and Quetzil Castañeda (OSEA; Indiana University) discussed, in Kowalski’s words, “how indigenous aesthetictraditions throughout the world have responded to, andbeen transformed by, contact with global capitalism, the expanding art market, and tourism.” The papers have already appeared in a handsome catalog edited by Kowalskititled, Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary WoodSculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán Mexico(DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2009).

In addition, Kowalski collaborated with Dr. Emily Prieto,Director of the Latino Resource Center, to arrange for visitsfrom high school students to view the exhibition. With thehelp of Janie Wilson-Cook, who designed the website forthe exhibition (www.vrc.niu.edu/maya), the artisans alsobrought their work to a magnet school, The Barbour Language Academy, and a Latino Community organization,La Voz Latina, in Rockford, Illinois. The Maya artisans alsodiscussed their work with NIU School of Art students at asculpture demonstration, and with NIU Latino students atthe Center. continued on page 2

Table of ContentsPage

1 “Crafting Maya Identity,” an Exhibition and Symposium, By Charles Stapleton

3 NIU Welcomes Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú, By María Verónica Polit

4 Rigoberta Menchú: Past and Present, By María Verónica Polit

5 Faculty Publications and Activities

9 CLLAS Activities

9 CLLAS Research and Travel Awards Artists’ works on display at the Jack Olson Gallery,Northern Illinois University.

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2 Encuentros 2010

continued from page 1Of special note, Maya artists presented a School of Art Woodshop for NIU students.Using pieces of cedar wood and woodworkingtools (gravers, chisels, knives, etc.) theydemonstrated the process and techniquesof creating the types of wood sculptures featured in the exhibition.They began by using pre-madedrawings, or sketching freehand,to create the initial outlines forthe subject matter of their piece.They then proceeded to cut awaylarger areas of extraneous wooduntil they reached the generalcontours of the figure or designthey were executing. At thatpoint, they shifted to finer, moredelicate engraving, chiseling, andcutting to add the final detail andfinishing touches to the carving.

Looking back on the exhibition and related events, Kowalski shared somepersonal reflections, “All in all, I think thiswas an extremely worthwhile effort. I’m gladthat artisans who have been creating superbly crafted and aesthetically attractive sculptures hadan opportunity to have their work recognized andtaken seriously. I’m also quite pleased to have hadthe opportunity to collaborate with Mary Katherine Scott.”_______________Charles Stapleton is a M.A. student in Art History and Anthropology.

Jesus Marcos Delgado Kú's version of the rulerK'inich Janaab Pakal II's sarcophagus lid from

Palenque, Chiapas.

Angel Ruiz Novelo's version of Lintel 25 fromYaxchilan, Chiapas, showing Lady K'abal Xook

with a "vision serpent" and royal ancestor.

Miguel Uc Delgado, based on Altar 8 from Tikal, Guatemala,

showing a bound captive resting on the personified

Tikal place name.

Wilbert Vázquez represents a personal interpretation of the Maya Maize God depicted in hieroglyphic images,

with additional allusions to fertility.

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Encuentros 2010 3

Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, visited NIU onSeptember 22, 2009. Menchú received the Prize in 1992 for hertireless fight for the rights of indigenous people in her home country of Guatemala and abroad. Her visit was organized by theLatino Resource Center with the support of several offices on cam-pus. Menchu’s visit included interaction with students, communitymembers and faculty at the Center for Latino and Latin AmericanStudies. While at the Center, Rigoberta Menchú was interviewed bythe Univisión television network, and she talked about Guatemala,her life and current projects. In the evening, Menchú gave an emotional public lecture before an audience of more than 1,000people in the Duke Ellington Ballroom, followed by a question-and-answer session and a book-signing session.

During her visit to the Center, the Nobel Laureate spent time withstudents in a casual environment, and later attended a formal reception that included interaction with faculty. Professor MichaelGonzales, the Director of the Center for Latino and Latin AmericanStudies, presented Menchú with an award on behalf of the DeKalbInterfaith Network, a community organization dedicated to socialand human rights, for her lifelong commitment to the welfare of indigenous people.

Menchú’s public lecture was emotional from beginning to end. Shetalked about her family’s travails, and the audience appeared movedby her stories of displacement and murder. Maria Zamudio, a student who attended the lecture, thought that Menchú was an inspiration: “She made the choice to become a victor and not a victim.” In addition to telling her story, Rigoberta Menchú discussed her vision for a better world, one that included community involvement, harmony with nature, and peace.

Menchú challenged audience members to become an integral part oftheir communities’ life. According to Menchú, young people todaylack a connection to others around them. Despite the existence of technology that facilitates communication, individualshave become isolated from the places where they live and the natural world. Student Sean Kowalski considered Menchú a passionate advocate for the environment.

During the question–and-answer portion of the evening, Menchúdiscussed her work with indigenous Guatemalans whose lives havebeen torn apart by the country’s civil war. She said that her organization, The Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation, has been involved in numerous human rights initiatives, community development projects, education, and civic engagement. The Foundation’s current projects, she indicated, included the creationand maintenance of schools and medical centers. Menchú’s honoraria from speaking engagements and other activities have provided the funding for her Foundation.

Some of the questions after the lecture focused on controversial topics. A member of the audience addressed the participation of theUnited States government in the civil war in Guatemala. This led toa discussion of the training of Latin American military personnel atthe Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation (formally known as the School of the Americas), a highly contentious subject. Another participant asked about the coup d’état that removed former Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, inJune, 2009. In response, Menchú said that there had been reportsof human rights violations, and that she had been invited to Honduras as a mediator. Some students, like Andrea Sánchez,thought that this portion of the evening gave the audience a betterunderstanding of Rigoberta Menchú’s career. Other students feltthat the speech was disconnected from the politics that surroundthe image of the Nobel Laureate.

Rigoberta Menchú’s visit to campus was remarkable in differentways. Her presence caused excitement among students and faculty alike. People reacted to her in different ways. Some clearly supportand admire Menchú, while others are more skeptical about her pastand present contributions. Before leaving, Rigoberta Menchú gracefully thanked the NIU community and especially the LatinoResource Center Director, Dr. Emily Prieto, for making her visit toDeKalb possible.

_______________María Verónica Polit is a M.A. student in Political Science.

NIU Welcomes Nobel Laureate Rigoberta MenchúBy María Verónica Polit

Rigoberta Menchú speaking at the Duke Ellington Ballroom,Holmes Student Center, Northern Illinois University on September 22, 2009. NIU student Sandra Díaz served as interpreter.

Rigoberta Menchú speaking at the Duke Ellington Ballroom.

Rigoberta Menchú greeting members of the audience and signingautographs following her lecture.

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During her visit to NIU, Rigoberta Menchú Tum granted an interview to Chicago’s Univisión affiliate WBGO news anchor andreporter Enrique Rodríguez. The interview focused on her background, and her present endeavors.

The 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate grew up in a Quiché (K’iche’)indigenous community in the northern highlands of Guatemala.Although her fondest memories are of her mountain village, sheand her family were forced to migrate every year in search of workon the plantations in the coastal areas. The entire family includ-ing children, did back-breaking labor for several months a year forminimal wages.

At the time of Menchú’s birth in 1959, Guatemala was in turmoil.Fear of Communism served as the pretext for successive governments’ violent subjugation of indigenous communities beginning in the mid-1960s. At the same time, guerrilla movements made the highlands, where Menchú and her familylived, the base for their operations, and the region became a battleground. In the interview, she remarked on the Guatemalanmilitary’s wide-spread use of torture and the forced disappearance of 50,000 individuals over the course of the civilwar’s 36-year history. Menchú did not detail her own tragic storyduring the interview, but said that the public needs to focus on theproblems that Guatemala’s indigenous majority still faces as a result of this conflict.

Menchú was asked about the controversy surrounding her 1982 biography which recounts in vivid detail the horror of theGuatemalan civil war through her eyes. Attacked for its factual inconsistencies by critics, she toldRodríguez that her story needs to beread as a testimonial about livingthrough a terrible conflict.

Menchú continues to fight for indigenous rights through herspeaking engagements and foundation work, and as the UnitedNation’s Goodwill Ambassador andofficial spokesperson for the U.N.’sInternational Decade for IndigenousPeoples. Inspired by the election ofEvo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, she became,in 2007, Guatemala’s first indigenous and first woman candidate for the presidency. Although she won only three percent of the vote and was subsequently eliminated in the election’s first round, she continues to be excited by politics.Menchú told Rodríguez that she enjoys a special bond withMorales, and they periodically talk about a variety of issues.

Circumstances keep Rigoberta Menchú in the forefront ofGuatemalan politics. The Truth and Reconciliation Commissionand the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation have concluded that, despite government claims to the contrary,

Guatemala still systematically excludes indigenous people frompolitical representation. The very people accused of leading theatrocities against the indigenous remain important politicians.

Political representation for the indigenous population falls shortof the goals set by the peace agreements of 1996, and resistance bythe political establishment to the full implementation of these accords creates frustration and recrimination, which motivates

Rigoberta Menchú to continue herwork through the reconciliation process.

The issues that Menchú champions,and which led to her winning theNobel Peace Prize continue to berelevant. Conflicts between traditional elites and indigenouspopulations have intensified inGuatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru.Poverty and inequality have shakendemocratic foundations and contributed to social and politicalturmoil throughout Latin America.American interests have sparked

nationalist sentiments that clash with complex social, economicand political divisions in each country. The existence of truthcommissions in Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina, Chile andPeru has unearthed information that is both curative and divisive.Without a doubt, Rigoberta Menchú remains an importantpublic figure.

To watch the interview, visit, http://www.univision.com/content/videoplayer.jhtml?cid=2098351.

Rigoberta Menchú Explains Her Past and Present toChicago’s WBGO Reporters By María Verónica Polit

Rigoberta Menchú sitting down for a television interview withreporters from Chicago Univisión affiliate WBGO.

“...her story needs

to be read as a

testimonial about

living through a

terrible conflict”

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Gregory BeyerAssistant Professor, School of MusicPublications

“Focus Day 2009: The Global Economy,” Percussive Notes 47, no. 4: 6-17.

Performances

Performed with Due East the U.S. premiere of Lend/Lease byDavid Lang at the 37th National Flute Association Convention,New York City, NY, August 15, 2009.

Performed with Due East the U.S. premiere of Formas del vientoby Alejandro Viñao at the 37th National Flute Association Convention, New York City, NY, August 15, 2009.

Performed with Robert Chappell and the NIU Percussion Ensemble at the 1st Annual Percussion Ensemble Festival of CostaRica, San José, Costa Rica, May 28, 2009.

Premiered with Due East Geometry V by Eric Simonson at the2009 SEAMUS Conference, Fort Wayne, IN, April 18, 2009.

Premiered with Due East Recall Coordinator by James Romig atthe 2009 New Music Festival, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, March 9, 2009.

Professional Activities

Hosted PASIC’s “The Global Economy,” a focus day event, Indianapolis, IN, November 11, 2009.

Hosted PAS Illinois Chapter’s “Day of Percussion,” NIU School ofMusic, DeKalb, IL, January 24, 2009.

Recognitions

Percussion ensemble competition winner, along with members ofthe NIU Percussion Ensemble, at the 2009 Percussive Arts SocietyInternational Convention (PASIC), Indianapolis, IN, November12, 2009.

Sarah A. BlueAssistant Professor, Geography

Papers Presented

“Arriving in New Orleans: Post-Katrina Latino Labor Recruitment,” presented at the XXVIII International Congress ofthe Latin American Studies Association, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,June 11-14, 2009.

“International Solidarity as a Household Survival Mechanism? International Missions, Remittances and Socio-Economic Equality,” presented at the Measure of a Revolution: Cuba, 1959-2009 Conference, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, May 7-9,2009.

“Systems of Subcontracting Latino Labor Recruitment: Evidencefrom New Orleans,” presented at the 2009 Conference of LatinAmerican Geographers, Grenada, Nicaragua, January 7-9, 2009.

Grants and Fellowships

Continued with National Science Foundation Geography and Regional Science Program Grant No. 0723398 “Latino Labor Migration and the Transformation of Post-Katrina New Orleans.”

Professional Activities

Organized a panel titled, “Latino Migration to the US: Impacts on Equality at Home and Abroad,” at the XXVIII International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association, Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, June 11-14, 2009.

Chaired, and co-organized, a panel titled “Immigration Researchin Geography: Theory and Practice” at the 2009 Conference ofLatin American Geographers, Grenada, Nicaragua, January 7-9,2009.

Louise CiallellaAssociate Professor, Foreign Languagesand Literatures

Publications

"De carne y hueso: Constructing Spanish Women in Forgotten Bodies of Work from the 1890s." In Beatriz Ferrús and NúriaCalafell (eds.), Escribir con el cuerpo. Colección Cuerpos quecuentan - Volumen I. Grupo Investigador Cuerpo y Textualidad.Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona/Editorial UOC.

Papers Presented

"Princesas-pantalla: proyección de deseos de cambio en definiciones de género sexual en la España del fin-de-siglo," presented at the Mid-America Conference on Hispanic Literature,University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, November 5-7, 2009.

Winifred CreamerPresidential Research Professor, Anthropology

Publications

Review of Pattern and Process in Cultural Evolution by Stephen Shennan (ed.), Culture and Agriculture 31, no. 2: 95-96. (WithKirsten Garwood)

Review of Social Violence in the Prehispanic American Southwestby Deborah L. Nichols and Patricia L. Crown (eds.), Kiva 74, no.4: 480-482.

Papers Presented

“Far from the Shore: Maritime Resources in Late Archaic Site in the Norte Chico, Peru,” presented at the 74th Annual Meeting ofthe Society for American Archaeology, Atlanta, GA, April 22-26,2009. (With Jonathan Haas and Edward Jakaitis)

“Camping and Farming: 2008 Excavations at Caballete, Peru,”presented at the University of Michigan’s 37th Annual Meeting ofthe Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeologyand Ethnohistory, Ann Arbor, MI, March 21-22, 2009. (WithJonathan Haas)

Professional Activities

Served as discussant for the session, “Complexity in the Northeast” at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Atlanta, GA, April 22-26, 2009.

Presented “Ancient Peru,” a talk to the 6th grade at Eagle HillMiddle School, Syracuse, NY, May, 2009.

2009 Faculty Publications and Activities

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Recognitions

Appointed as a grants reviewer for the National Science Foundation.

Selected as a panel member for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Appointed reviewer for the Journal of Archeological Science.

Selected to the editorial board of Culture and Agriculture.

Mayra C. DanielAssistant Professor, Literacy Education

Publications

“Educational Dilemmas in Guatemala: Is it Really the Land of Eternal Spring?” Bilingual Basics: The newsletter of TESOL’sBilingual Interest Section 11, no. 1.

“Is There a Need for a Language Policy and Heightened Multilingualism in TESOL? Survey Results,” Bilingual Basic: TheNewsletter of TESOL’s Bilingual Interest Section 11, no. 1. (WithShelley K. Taylor, Patrick H. Smith, and David Schwarzer)

“Collaboration and Discovery: A Pilot Study of Leveling Criteriafor Books Written in Spanish for K-3rd Grade.” In Francine Falk-Ross, Mary Beth Sampson, Susan Szabo, and Martha Foote(eds.), Literacy Issues During Changing Times: A Call to Action.College Reading Association Yearbook: Vol. 30. Commerce, TX:Texas A & M University-Commerce. (With Verna Rentsch)

“Learning in Guatemala: What Does Schooling Foster?” Encuentros 2009. DeKalb, IL: Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, Northern Illinois University.

Papers Presented

“A Report of Teacher Preparation Efforts in Guatemala, Year 2008,” presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association ofLiteracy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte, N.C., November 4-8, 2009.

“Biliteracy in America’s Classrooms: Helping Teachers Meet theChallenge,” presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte,N.C., November 4-8, 2009.

“Young ELLs at K-2nd Are Biliterate: Let’s Understand What TheyAre Doing, and Help Them Enjoy the Process,” presented at the36th Annual Northern Illinois University College of Education andNorthern Illinois Reading Council Summer Reading Conference,Sugar Grove, IL, June 19, 22-25, 2009.

“Biliteracy for Young ELLs,” presented at the Early Literacy Pre-Conference Institute, 54th Annual Convention of the International Reading Association, Minneapolis, MN, May 3-7,2009.

“And the Winner is…,” presented at the What Every Reading Specialist Needs to Know about Literacy Coaching Workshop,Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, April 24, 2009. (WithChris Carger and Melanie Koss)

“From ‘Nice Words’ to Action: TESOL/BEIS Multilingualism, andLanguage Policy,” presented at the 42nd Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit, Denver, CO, March 26-28, 2009. (WithShelley Taylor, David Schwarzer, and Patrick Smith)

“Where There’s a Second Language There’s a First!” presented atthe 42nd Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit, Denver, CO,March 26-28, 2009. (With Shelley Taylor, David Schwarzer, andPatrick Smith)

“Educar y aprender en Guatemala: Un arcoiris de posibilidades,”presented at the 7th International Literacy Conference, GuatemalaCity, Guatemala, February 18-20, 2009. (With Carolyn Johnson)

“Advocating for Bilingual Parents at Nelson School,” presented atthe 32nd Annual Statewide Conference for Teachers Serving Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students, Oakbrook, IL, January 10, 2009. (With Verna Rentsch and Perla Stefanski)

“The Bilingual Context of Education in Morocco,” presented at the32nd Annual Statewide Conference for Teachers Serving Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students, Oakbrook, IL, January 9, 2009. (With Alexis Ball)

Professional Activities

Delivered “Every Teacher is a Teacher of English Language Learners: Preparing Illinois Teachers for a Diverse New World,” akeynote address to the College of Dean’s Annual Meeting, Bloomington, IL, June 25, 2009.

Ibis Gómez-VegaAssociate Professor, English

Publications

“Inscriptions of Race, Class, and Gender in Mariana Romo-Carmona’s Living at Night.” Confluencia: Revista Hispánica de Cultura y Literatura 24, no. 2: 40-52.

“Losing Everything in David Wong Louie’s ‘In a World SmallEnough,’” Short Story 16, no. 2: 63-77.

Michael J. GonzalesDistinguished Research Professor, HistoryDirector, Center for Latino and LatinAmerican Studies

Publications

“Imagining Mexico in 1921: Visions of the Revolutionary State and Society in the Centennial Celebration in Mexico City,” MexicanStudies/Estudios Mexicanos 25, no. 2: 247-271.

Professional Activities

Served as commentator for Sandra C. Mendiola García’s paper “Defenders of Their Rights: Street Vendors and Conflict in Puebla,1969-1977,” presented at the Newberry Library Labor HistorySeminar, Chicago, IL, February 13, 2009.

Anne HanleyAssociate Professor, History

Papers Presented

“Public Health in São Paulo, Brazil 1834-1914,” presented at the Workshop on Economics and Biodemography of Aging andHealth, Center for Population Economics, The Booth School ofBusiness, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, November 13, 2009.

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“Pests and Pestilence: Public Health in Belle-Époque Brazil,1889-1914,” presented at the Economic History Association 2009Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ, September 11-13, 2009.

“Municipal Finance in São Paulo, Brazil 1822-1930,” presented atthe Department of Economics Economic History Seminar, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, May 14, 2009.

Grants and Fellowships

Received a Faculty Summer Research and Artistry Grant from the Northern Illinois University Graduate School to work on a manuscript titled, “Municipal Finance and Socioeconomic Development in São Paulo, Brazil 1822-1930.”

Professional Activities

Presented “Lula, Brazil, and the New Left in Latin America,” a lecture to the Graduate Program in International Finance andBusiness, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, April 21, 2009.

Kristin HuffineAssistant Professor, History

Papers Presented

“Jesuit Science in Colonial Latin America, Sixteenth through Eighteenth Centuries,” presented at the History of Science Society2009 Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, November 19, 2009.

Professional Activities

Gave a seminar presentation on “Assessing the Sacred in the Colonial Borderlands: Jesuit and Indigenous Faith at the Marginsof the Spanish Empire,” at the Newberry Library, Chicago, IL,April 17, 2009.

Jeff KowalskiProfessor, School of Art

Publications

Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures fromthe Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press.

“Imaging the Maya: Carvings, Carvers, Contexts, and Messages.”In Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures fromthe Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico. (With Mary Katherine Scott)

“Other Carvings in the Exhibition.” In Crafting Maya Identity:Contemporary Wood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico. (With Quetzil Castañeda)

“‘Thrice Built’: Uxmal and Constructions of Maya Identity.” InCrafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures fromthe Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico.

“Visualizing Culture, Society, and Ideology in Mesoamerica: Bookson Olmec, Classic Maya, and Teotihuacán Archaeology and Art,”Latin American Research Review 44, no. 2: 193-207.

Papers Presented

“‘Thrice Built’: Uxmal and Constructions of Maya Identity,” presented at the Northern Illinois University’s Symposium onGlobalization, Tourism, Cultural Identity, Authenticity and Art,DeKalb, IL, September 19, 2009.

Professional Activities

Co-organized, moderated, and participated, in the Northern Illinois University’s Symposium on Globalization, Tourism, Cultural Identity, Authenticity, and Art, DeKalb, IL, September 19,2009. (Co-organizer Mary Katherine Scott)

Co-curated the exhibition “Crafting Maya Identity: ContemporaryWood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico” heldat the Jack Olson Gallery, School of Art, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, August 31-September 24, 2009. (Co-curator Mary Katherine Scott)

Eloy E. MerinoAssociate Professor, Foreign Languagesand Literatures

Publications

“La resurrección en cada línea”: mundos posibles en cuatro poetas asturianos contemporáneous.” In C. X. A. Trabanco (ed.),Poetas asturianos para el siglo XXI. Gijón, Asturias: EdicionesTrea.

“Si yo fuera una hermosa princesa: la truncada esfera de posibilidades en la poesía de Juana Borrero,” Círculo. Revista deCultura. 38: 48-59.

Review of Displacements and Transformations in Caribbean Cultures by Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert and Ivette Romero-Cesareo (eds.), Hispania 92, no. 2: 268-89.

Review of Sacred Spaces and Religious Traditions in Oriente,Cuba by Jualyne E. Dodson. Hispania 92, no. 3: 511-12.

Eugene PerryProfessor, Geology and EnvironmentalGeosciences

Publications

“Geological Field Experiences in Mexico: An Effective and Efficient Model for Enabling Middle and High School ScienceTeachers to Connect with Their Burgeoning Hispanic Populations.” In Steven J. Witmeyer, David W. Mogk, and Eric J.Pyle (eds.), Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and Modern Approaches: GSA Special Paper 461. (With KathleenKitts, Rosa Leal-Bautista, and Guadalupe Velásquez-Oliman)

“Groundwater Geochemistry of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico:Constraints on Stratigraphy and Hydrogeology,” Journal of Hydrogeology 367: 27-40. (With Adina Paytan, Bianca Pedersen,and Guadalupe Velázquez-Oliman)

“Características del acuífero regional de la Península de Yucatáninferidas por la química de agua subterránea,” Conacyt – GrupoInterdisciplinario del Agua (http://red-tematica-conacyt.blogspot.com/2009/05/lista-de-las-ponencias-proximamente-en.html) (With Guadelupe Velázquez-Oliman,Adina Paytan, Bianca Pedersen, and NiklasWagner)

“Fracture-Controlled Paleohydrology in a Map-Scale DetachmentFold: Insights from the Analysis of Fluid Inclusions in Calcite andQuartz Veins,” Journal of Structural Geology 31: 1490-1510.(With Mark P. Fischer, I. Camilo Higuera-Díaz, Mark A. Evans,Liliana Lefticariu)

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Papers Presented

“Metagenomic Analysis of Microbial Communities in Deep Karst Sinkholes in Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico,” Abstract No: 156621,presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America, Northern IllinoisUniversity, Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009. (With Annie Moore,Melissa Lenczewski, and Melvin Duvall)

“A Continuing Ion Geochemistry and Sr Isotope Study of the Extent of the K/T Ejecta Blanket in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico,” Abstract No: 156025, presented at the 43rd AnnualMeeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society ofAmerica, Northern Illinois University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3,2009. (With Niklas Wagner, Guadalupe Velázquez-Oliman, andAdina Paytan)

“Using Activity Systems Analysis for Monitoring Teacher ActionResearch,” Abstract No. 156581, presented at the 43rd AnnualMeeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society ofAmerica, Northern Illinois University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3,2009. (With Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, Kathleen Kitts, and Cecil M.Smith)

“Teacher’s Integration of Literacy Strategies in Geoscience Education: A Multidisciplinary Initiative,” Abstract No. 156444,presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America, Northern IllinoisUniversity, Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009. (With Francine Falk-Ross, Solanlly Ochoa-Angrino, Cecil M. Smith, KatherineKitts, and Lisa Yamagata-Lynch)

“Promoting Secondary Students’ Identity Development in Geoscience Education,” Abstract No. 156524, presented at the43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America, Northern Illinois University, Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009. (With Cecil Smith, Kathleen Kitts,Francine Falk-Ross, Solanlly Ochoa-Angrino, and Lisa Yamagata-Lynch)

“Características del acuífero regional de la Península de Yucatáninferidas por la química de agua subterránea,” presented at theRed Nacional de Agua del CONACYT, La primera reunión de lared temática del agua, Cocoyoc, Morelos, Mexico, January 23,2009. (With Guadalupe Velázquez-Oliman, Adina Paytan, BiancaPedersen, and Niklas Wagner)

Professional Activities

Delivered “Cenotes y otros aspectos de la Hidrologia de la Peninsula de Yucatán,” an invited presentation at the Foro Regional sobre Conservación y Manejo Sustentable de Cenotes enla Peninsula de Yucatán, Merida, Mexico, August 21, 2009.

Co-Chaired 43rd Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section ofthe Geological Society of America, Northern Illinois University,Rockford, IL, April 2-3, 2009.

Leila PorterAssociate Professor, Anthropology

Publications

The Smallest Anthropoids: The Marmoset and Callimico Radiation. New York: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.(Edited with Susan M. Ford and Lesa C. Davis)

“Social Behavior of Callimico: Mating Strategies and Infant Care.”In Susan M. Ford, Lesa C. Davis, and Leila M. Porter (eds.), TheSmallest Anthropoids: The Marmoset and Callimico Radiation.New York: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. (With Paul A.Garber)

“Exudate Feeding in Callimico goeldii,” American Journal of Primatology 71, no. 2: 120-29. (With Paul A. Garber and EdilioNacimento)

Papers Presented

“Mycophagy and Home Range Use in Callimico goeldii.” presented at the 32nd Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists, San Diego, CA, September 20, 2009. (With Paul A. Garber)

Rodrigo VillanuevaAssistant Professor, School of Music

Publications

“Transcribir: Imitar y asimilar para después poder innovar,” Músico Pro 16, no. 7: 54-55.

“Batería Classic Series de DW,” Músico Pro 16, no. 7: 10-11.

Performances

Performed as a guest artist for the NIU Jazz Faculty Combo at the 64th Annual Midwest Clinic and International Band and Orchestra Conference, Chicago, IL, December 17, 2009.

Performed with the Eddie Gómez Trio at Papabeto Jazz Bistro,Mexico City, Mexico, December 4-5, 2009.

Performed with the Eddie Gómez Trio at the II JazzUV International Jazz Festival, Xapala, Mexico, December 3, 2009.

Performed with the Eddie Gómez Trio at the XV San Miguel de Allende International Jazz Festival, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, November 28, 2009.

Performed with Edgar Dorantes Jazz Quartet at El Zinco JazzClub in Mexico City, Mexico, July 2, 2009.

Performed with Ed Saindon and the Rodrigo Villanueva Jazz Trioat The House Café, DeKalb, IL, April 20, 2009.

Performed with the Stefan Karlsson Trio at Recital Hall, NorthernIllinois University, DeKalb, IL, February 18, 2009.

Performed with the Rodrigo Villanueva Jazz Trio at La Encrucijada in Querétaro, Mexico. January 9-10, 2009.

Performed with the Bernal-Verástegui-Villanueva Jazz Trio at ElZinco Jazz Club in Mexico City, Mexico, January 2-3, 2009.

Grants and Fellowships

Received the 2008-2009 Lillian ("Pauline") Cobb Faculty Travel Fellowship for International Teaching and Service to developsummer study collaborations with Jazz studies programs at various Mexican universities.

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Robert Marcelin Memorial Scholarship

The Robert Marcelin Memorial Scholarship was endowed by employees of Ameritech Corporation to honor the late Mr.Marcelin, a former co-worker and friend who graduated fromNorthern Illinois University. The committee, composed of Centerfaculty associates and former Marcelin colleague Ms. Alison Thomson, meets annually to select an outstanding student ofLatino heritage.

Pictured from left to right are Alison Thomson, the 2009-10Marcelin Award recipient Sandra Diaz, and CLLAS Director

Michael Gonzales

Center for Latino and Latin AmericanStudies Latino Scholarship

Since 2006, the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies hassponsored an undergraduate student scholarship competition forstudents of Latino heritage. Applicants for this award must submit a statement of career goals, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and demonstrate satisfactory progress towards degree completion.The 2009-10 award went to Aurelia Nevarez, a speech and language pathology major, whose career goal is to apply her bi-cultural/bilingual background to help children develop their communication and expressive skills.

Dr. Gonzales with 2009 CLLAS Latino Scholarship recipient Aurelia Nevarez.

Center Sponsored EventsAugust 31-September 25, 2009. The Center co-sponsored anexhibition at the School of Art’s Jack Olson Gallery titled, “Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures fromthe Puuc Region, Yucatán.”

September 19, 2009. The Center co-sponsored the international symposium titled, “Globalization, Tourism, CulturalIdentity, Authenticity, and Art."

Jeff Kowalski, Ph.D. (standing) with symposium speakers Mary Katherine Scott, Quetzil Castañeda, Janet Berlo,

Christopher Steiner, and Nelson Graburn.

September 22, 2009. The Center co-sponsored Guatemalanhuman rights activist Rigoberta Menchú’s visit to NIU. Whilehere, Menchú met with students, was interviewed by WBGO,Chicago’s Univisión affiliate, gave a public lecture and attended areception in her honor at the Latino Center.

Rigoberta Menchú speaking with students at the Latino Center.

CLLAS Activities

Rigoberta Menchú

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10 Encuentros 2010

October 12, 2009. The Department of Geography and the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies co-sponsored apublic showing of Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s “The Garden,” a2008 documentary. The film depicts the controversy surrounding a 14 acre community garden created on a burned outsite devastated by the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The work of Latinoand African-American residents, the garden was contested bylocal authorities and real estate magnates and led to a public confrontation. The episode served as inspiration for urban gardenactivists throughout the country. A panel discussion followed thescreening. Participating were geography professors Scott Smithand Sarah Blue (CLLAS faculty associate), geography graduatestudent Jessica Hayes, and the coordinator of the Little VillageEnvironmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) in Chicago, Kimberly Wasserman. The Little Village section of Chicago has aLatino majority population, and residents have organized a highlysuccessful urban garden experiment that has garnered public at-tention and scholarly interest. The discussion focused on issuesraised by the film and on Little Village community gardens.

Speakers Sponsored by the CenterMarch 23, 2009. The Graduate Colloquium Committee, the Departments of Anthropology and History, the Latino ResourceCenter, and the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, co-sponsored Karen E. Richman, director for Migration and Border Studies, University of Notre Dame, in a colloquium eventheld at the Latino Center. Her public lecture titled “The Meaningof Participation in a Globalized World: Continued Migrant Engagement in Political, Social, Religious, and Economic Affairs

in Haiti and Mexico” examined the phenomena of transnationalcultural identity of Latin American immigrants to the UnitedStates. Her graduate seminar was an opportunity for faculty andgraduate students to review and discuss her recent book, Migration and Vodou (University Press of Florida, 2005).

October 6, 2009. The Center sponsored Christina Bueno, assistant professor of History, Northeastern Illinois University, fora public lecture on the creation of Mexico’s first archeology museum and indigenous reaction to appropriation of local artifacts.

November 5, 2009. The Environmental Studies Program andthe Center for Latino and Latin American Studies co-sponsoredRosa M. Leal-Bautista, research associate, Centro de InvestigaciónCientífica de Yucatán, for a lecture titled, “The Mexican Caribe,Not Just for Tourists … but for Geological and Environmental Research.” Her lecture featured her research on the impact of regional development on water quality in Yucatán aquifers.

November 9-10, 2009. The Graduate Colloquium Committeeand the Center for Latino and Latin American co-sponsored Jeffrey R. Parsons, professor of Anthropology emeritus and Museum of Anthropology curator emeritus, University of Michigan, in a colloquium event held at the Latino Center. Hispublic lecture titled, “Vanishing Landscapes and Vanishing Lifeways: The Impact of Development and Modernization on Traditional Culture in the Valley of Mexico” examined the impactof urban development on pre-Columbian archeological sites in theValley of Mexico. His graduate seminar on maguey utilization inhighland Mexico looked at the traditional use of natural magueyfibers by indigenous communities over the centuries.

Clockwise, from top left: RigobertaMenchú conversing with Professor Jeff Kowalski.

Rigoberta Menchú pictured with (left toright) NIU professors J. D. Bowers,Sarah Blue, and Linda Saborío.

Rigoberta Menchú saying a few words ata reception held in her honor.

Rigoberta Menchú with Professor Francisco Solares-Larrave.

Center Sponsored Events continued

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Grants Awarded to Faculty in FY 2010

Melissa Lenczewski (Geology and EnvironmentalGeosciences) – To gather and analyze well-water samples located in the Yucatán for the purpose of testing the region’saquifer for contaminants, and determining the origins of pollutants.

Eugene Perry (Geology and Environmental Geosciences) – To research the geology and environmentalhydrogeochemistry of groundwater systems of the southernCampeche aquifer located in Yucatán state, Mexico and northernGuatemala.

Linda Saborío (Foreign Languages and Literatures) – To explore the representation of alterity andidentity in Mexican women (im)migrant experiences through theworks of contemporary female border-region playwrights.

Graduate Student Research GrantsAwarded in FY 2010

Andrés Híjar (History) – To conduct archival research onthe mining industry of Parral-Santa Bárbara region of Chihuahua,Mexico during the revolutionary period.

Cheyenne Morgan (Geology and EnvironmentalGeosciences/Anthropology) – To investigate contaminants in Yucatán peninsula groundwater, and to researchsustainable ground-water management practices for affected communities.

CLLAS Research and Travel Awards

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Center for Latino and Latin American Studies

Northern Illinois University

515 Garden Road

DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2853

PRSRT STD

NONPROFIT

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

UNIVERSITY

Center for Latino and Latin American StudiesPhone: (815) 753-1531

Fax: (815) 753-1651Email: latinostudies@niu.edu

Website: www.niu.edu/latinostudies/

Director: Michael J. Gonzales

EditorsJohn R. Alexander and Michael J. Gonzales

Northern Illinois University is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution

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