Maya Zapatistas Move to the Ancient Future

This essay assesses recent events pertaining to the Maya Zapatista movement in light of the Mesoamerican past and present. Persistent patterns of Maya world construction, group and personal identity, and political legitimacy form the conceptual core of the movement, expressing themes that have been well documented for some 2,000 years in Maya cultural history. The essay concludes with suggestions as to the new forms that pan-Maya ethnic affirmation may assume in the multiethnic configuration of Mexico and Guatemala in the 21st century.