Rigoberta Rigoberta MenchMenchú ú

Tum Tum Written by: kidworldcitizen.org

Rigoberta Menchú Tum was born in a small village in the rainforest of Guatemala. It was a beautiful, lush area, but the families were very poor.

She had 8 brothers and sisters, and everyone (even small children) worked hard on nearby coffee and cotton plantations all day long.

Kids had malnutrition (not enough healthy food to eat) and did not live very long. The conditions were very poor and life was hard.

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Rigoberta Menchú Tum and her family are Quiché Mayan. The Quiché Mayan people are an indigenous, or Indian, group that has lived in the highlands of Guatemala since pre-Columbian times (before the Spaniards came).

Like other Indians in Guatemala, her family did not have citizen rights; they could not own land, did not have access to education, and could not vote. When Rigoberta was 12 years old, she worked as a maid in a rich family’s home. She slept on a mat on the floor, and said the dog was treated better than she was.

Guatemala had a civil war that lasted over 30 years. During the war, many Indians disappeared and were killed, including many of Rigoberta’s family members. She decided to leave her village and advocate for human rights. Rigoberta traveled around the world to tell people about the unjustices that were happening to Guatemalan’s Indians. She went to the United Nations to talk about her experiences, difficult struggles, and poor treatment of her people.

UN headquarters, New York. Photo credit: Steve Cadman

In 1992, when Rigoberta Menchú was only 33 years old, she won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work to help of the Guatemala Indians.

Now she is a leader for human rights of indigenous people throughout the Americas. She represents “poor people throughout the world” and has a foundation that works to gain rights for native Indian people, women, children, and refugees.

Photo Credit: University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Questions to Think Questions to Think AboutAbout

• Where is Rigoberta Menchú from?• What were some of her struggles?• What do you think her message is?

Rigoberta Menchú is trying to help Guatemalan Indians by working telling others around the world about their situation. She wants make sure that everyone has access to a good education, and that everyone respects human rights. Do you know anyone who is helping others? What have they done?