Literacy practices and strategies of communication of the Mopan Maya of Belize: A rhetorical analysis

In the Central American nation of Belize where the official language is English and where five national languages are used for daily communication, it may be more appropriate to speak of multiliteracies---that is, of more than one form of literacy. In this plural context, there is dissonance between the official definition of literacy and actual multiple practices of literacy. Some practices are recognized and legitimized; other modalities, literacy practices, and strategies of communication go unacknowledged. Present day literacy practices of the indigenous Mopan Maya community are informed by traditional values, Mopan epistemology, and communication patterns. Contrary to the official definitions of literacy which classify them as illiterate, the indigenous Mopan Maya people communicate effectively through multiple modalities.; The review of the relevant literature situates this research project within the discipline of rhetoric and provides a multifaceted theoretical framework, definitions, and precedents for the research question: In what ways do the Mopan Maya use rhetorical strategies and literacy practices to negotiate their daily lives? Using a four-domain embedded case study design, and drawing upon ethnographical methods (such as interview protocols for Mopan villagers, participation, observation, notes and other interviews with outsider key figures), I explore the literacy practices and rhetorical communicative strategies used by the Mopan Maya villagers in a small community (approximately 400 inhabitants) situated along the Southern Highway in Belize.; To analyze the data, I apply intercultural values of individualism and communitarianism, ascription and achievement, and universalism and particularism to their literacy practices and rhetorical strategies in the four domains: School, Church, Home and Community. I also review these literacy practices and rhetorical strategies of communication from the points of view of Critical Cultural Studies and a Feminist Perspective. This inquiry into Mopan Maya rhetorical strategies adds to the corpus of knowledge about a vibrant community of Mopan Maya villagers in Belize and makes some recommendations for the disciplines of Rhetoric and Literacy Studies, for policy makers, and for the Mopan Maya community.