Year 12 – Present History

Hello October! Year 12 History students are continuing their deep dive into Colonization and its consequences this month, with today’s discussion focusing intensely on cultural syncretism. This complex topic explores how two different cultures blend, often following conquest, to create new, unique cultural and religious forms. To make this concept tangible, we explored the fascinating transformation of a religious figure in modern-day Guatemala. We started with Maximón, also reverently known as Ri Laj Mam, the Great Grandfather who represents an ancient pre-Colonial Maya deity or folk saint. The students then analyzed how, through colonization, this figure merged with Catholic saint traditions to become San Simón, celebrated today as a syncretic folk saint.

This blending is particularly visible on October 28th, when the celebration of Maximón or San Simón takes place. It’s important for our EISB History students to understand that learning history is not about memorizing dates and names. Instead, our focus is on understanding the past: the causes, consequences, and processes like syncretism, and then extrapolating that knowledge. By examining cases like Ri Laj Mam/San Simón, students are actively developing an international and multicultural mindset, enabling them to understand the complex, layered nature of our modern world.