mayans geography kn3 - clover hill primary school · back next when we talk about the end of the...
TRANSCRIPT
Learning Objective: To find out about the way of life of modern Maya.
The Maya
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When we talk about the end of the Mayan civilisation, we don’t mean that the Maya disappeared altogether. Even though the great cities
of the Maya were abandoned around the year 900, many Maya continued to live in the area and still do today.
Let’s have a look at some photos of modern Maya on the next slides. What can you find out
about modern life or Maya from these pictures?
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Although modern Mayan people hold on to many aspects of their traditional culture, throughout the
centuries they have adapted and changed as the society around them has changed. For example, there are many
different Mayan languages but the main language is Spanish.
Why do you think that is?
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When the Spanish conquistadors ‘discovered’ the Americas and conquered the native people, they brought their way
of life with them. The area came under the control of the Spanish. This meant that
they brought their religion, language and culture with them.
The conquistadors thought that the native people were heathen savages who needed
to be taught how to live a civilised life. They tried to teach the Maya to abandon
their traditions and instead adopt European culture.
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The Maya did adopt certain aspects of the Spanish way of life. They have kept many of their religious ceremonies but now worship ‘santos’ (saints) instead of the traditional gods. They celebrate
many of the Christian festivals, including Christmas and Easter, but
they have also kept many of their own traditions. They have special
ceremonies performed by a shaman to help them connect with the spirit
world.
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Many Maya continue to live in small
villages making a living from farming and trading goods,
just like their ancestors. They often
wear traditional clothes although they do have more modern
clothes too.
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Do you think it is important for the Maya
to hold on to their traditions or do you think
they should live in a more modern way?
Why?