The Maya in Modern Belize

This week's editorial in the Amandala Newspaper throws some interesting insight into the role of the Mayan people in the post colonial development of Belize. The author quotes from Michaek D. Coe:

“The history of the American continent does not begin with Christopher Columbus, or even with Leif the Lucky, but with those Maya scribes in the Central American jungles who first began to record the deeds of their rulers some two thousand years ago. Of all the peoples of the pre-Columbian New World, only the ancient Maya had a complete script: they could write down anything they wanted to, in their own language.” - pg. 7, BREAKING THE MAYA CODE (Revised Edition), by Michael D. Coe, Thames & Hudson Inc.

The editorial fails in trying to make a link between post colonial Creole and Mayan convergence and reveals the authors agenda of attempting to blame religious leaders for defects in Belize's educational system: "To this day, the education system in Belize refuses to recognize that it was the Europeans who invaded Africa and America five hundred years ago who were the real barbarians."

http://www.amandala.com.bz/newsadmin/preview.php?id=6926