The goal of this website is to serve as a resource for anyone wanting to learn about Mam language and culture. We hope that by providing learning resources in Mam (from San Juan Atitán), English, and Spanish, and by utilizing many modalities of learning such as text, imagery, audio, and videos, more people can learn about the Mam language and culture. In addition, we hope it raises awareness of the strong presence of Mam speakers and Mam culture in the U.S. For more information, you can find our contact information on the About Us page.
Whether you are new to learning Mam, have taken a few classes and want to improve, speak Mam and want to improve fluency, reading, or writing skills, or just want to become familiar with Mam language and culture, we ecourage you to check out our new learning path "Learn Mam with Sophia."
Follow Sophia, a young women born in San Juan Atitán, Guatemala and raised in Oakland as she travels back to San Juan Atitán to revisit her home and learn Mam.
I am a graduate student speaker with the ORIAS Speakers Bureau. I offer 45-minute to one-hour interactive presentations geared to students, educators, or faculty ranging from elementary school to community college.
Presentation: Maya Mam Language, Culture, and Migration
As a community-accountable researcher and educator, I'm always happy to get involved in other initiatives.
For example, I am currently working on a collaborative project on health education videos in Mam language varieties from Todos Santos and San Juan Atitán with a team from La Clínica de la Raza. This collaboration has generously been supported by the Joseph A. Myers Center for Research on Native American Issues Grant at UC Berkeley.
If you have ideas for collaborations please reach out via email or LinkedIn (both found in the banner below).
Know your Rights Card, audio in Mam from San Juan Atitán, Huehuetenango
Voces Mayas, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
Part of the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Voces Maya is on Facebook and also has wonderful messages and Live feeds with information in Mam. They have community events in Oakland to share resources and translate documents in person.
Mayan League (@mayanleague)
A Maya-led organization based out of Washington DC with resources for Maya communities, training for interpreters, and more.