Cultural Identity & Textiles | Kaqchikel Culture of Guatemala Based on Family and Traditions

In this story of the Kaqchikel, they share their personal story and insights on the history of their textiles and other facets of Guatemalan culture, including:

• An overview of Kaqchikel handicrafts and foods
• The effects of modern-day racism on Guatemalan culture
• A description of the ENACTUS organization and DIDART project
• The importance of showing good hospitality in the Kaqchikel culture and the impact of globalization on heritage crafts and cultural identity

Expected Learning Outcome:

This lesson includes clear expected learning outcomes that support students in understanding cultural identity through first-person perspectives, while building intercultural awareness andconnections between individual experience and global traditions.

• Students will identify and describe key cultural practices and beliefs from the lesson’s focus community (i.e., Kaqchikel culture).
• Students will articulate insights into their own cultural identities and how those identities relate to what they learned.
• Students will analyze how cultural expressions (like textiles) reflect values, history, and social traditions.
• Students will compare perspectives across cultures while finding similarities and differences through human themes.
• Students will make connections between cultural traditions and broader global contexts (racism, globalization, hospitality), showing critical thinking about identity and intercultural understanding.