Paper short abstract:

Q’eqchi’ Maya elders in Guatemala fear that cosmic equilibrium is threatened by non-indigenous elements in their society. Signs of this unbalance is seen in climate changes. Therefore, the elders have come together to share with them of their knowlege to restore the balance and to avoid armageddon.

Paper long abstract:

According to Q'eqchi' cosmology human and other-than-human beings mutually share the responsibility of maintaining cosmic equilibrium. A group of Q'eqchi' Maya elders in Guatemala consider themselves as bearers of inherited cosmological and ritual knowledge. Recently, however, the elders fear that their ancient knowledge may soon be lost since the younger generations of today tend instetad to follow the "ways" of non-indigenous cultures. The cosmic balance is therefore disturbed and should the situation worsen the elders say it would wreak havoc in the world and humanity would in the end face armageddon. The Q'eqchi' elders in Chisec, Guatemala, say moreover that they are already seeing early signs of this dark premonition. Guatemala is one of the world's most vulnerable countres to climate change in the world and today people experience first hand the consequences of mudslides, hurricanes, floodings and drought. With regard to the Q'eqchi' elders they say that the climate has gotten much hotter and that there is less rain and wind in their region. They fear that their homeland will soon become a desert and that all beings will eventually die of starvation. Therefore, the elders have come together in an organized form with the ambition to share with them their knowledge with the hope to restore the cosmic balance. The aim of this paper is thus to account for a Q'eqchi' cosmology as an alternative to modern science that needs to be reckoned with in search for measures for climate change mitigations.