Last Lords of Palenque: The Lacandon Mayas of the Mexican Rain Forest

The Last Lords of Palenque takes place roughly between 1970 and 1984 and documents two anthropologists time and experience with one branch of the surviving Mexican rain forest Mayan. This time span marks a time of change and intrusion by industrialized global forces into the land and traditional lives of the Mayans. Deforestation of sacred mahogany is documented as the Mexican government in cahoots with foreign lumber companies and evangelical forces in league with the CIA attempt to divide and conquer Mayan leadership to gain access to the rights to chop down trees and modernize Mayan life.It also documents the struggle between other Mexican Indian cultures who have been awarded lands by both state and national governments which also infringe on the Mayan homeland, and who now also pose a threat to the Mayans as they move into those lands and use slash and burn agricultural techniques.The struggle described is not unlike any other indigenous groups plight in dealing with corporate global greed and the corruption of governments. Many of the results of deforestation described in this book are now being felt in the Yucatan and other traditional areas of the Mayan homeland as flooding from storms now creates greater damage including landslides due to deforestation.The book is a decent anthropological view into the disappearing culture, yet easy to read. It gives insights into the cultural arrangements of the Lancandon Maya, as well as the religious and historical views of Lancandon shaman.

Thank goodness for researchers that are willing to do what it takes to gain the trust of cultures to obtain their view of the world.

Victor Perera and Robert D. Bruce are quite a team! Fascinating theory on the origins of the Mayans.

I used this text in university Anthropology and wanted to add it to my personal library, I was disappointed in the condition of the book and that the cover of the text is not the one pictured.