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Sue Bradford Edwards

Writer--Reviewer--Teacher--Historian

"Author Rachel Crandell Tells of Mayas' Village Life in New Book." by Sue Bradford Edwards

Originally published in St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 7, 2002, p. E3.

For some, retirement is a time to take it easy. Not "Rainforest Rachel." Rachel Crandall, retired Principia second grade teacher, loves the rainforest. Because she feels that others can best appreciate the rainforest if they experience it for themselves, she leads rainforest eco-tours which in turn led to the creation of her picture book "Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play" (Henry Holt, $16.95, 32 pages).

Q: Reading "Hands of the Maya" it is obvious you have a deep, personal connection with these people. How did this relationship develop?

A: 1n 1993 my husband and I went to Belize to scout out a trip to lead our alumni on from Principia College. We met the principal from the Maya Center Village Primary School. Because I teach 2nd grade my students became pen pals with students from that village school. And we kept on being pen pals through 2001.

In 1998 I took my sabbatical and lived in that village. I took photos of four or five of the kids that I knew still had connections with the kids here. It was fun for them to see their "little pen pals" as a thirteen or fourteen year old.

Q: Tell us about living in the village. What surprised you most about life there?

A: I was so included in so many events. Intimate things--bathing, fishing, digging cassavas together. I got to go to weddings and got to be the photographer because I had a camera, the only one in the village.

I knew there was a land problem for indigenous peoples but I never expected to participate in their struggle. When I was in the village, there was a big problem with the Land Commissioner who was not legally recognizing land that obviously belonged to the Maya, meaning he could sell it from under a Maya farm family. They decided to have a protest and let me be a part of it. They made signs and in the morning we took the bus to town and marched down the main street with out protest signs until the Land Commissioner agreed to see the members of the village council, the elders.

Q: What did you see in the village that inspired you to write this book?

A: I love doing things by hand. I love watching people do things that are skillful and loving, and hands are one of the best indicators of that. While I was there, I was taking photographs of all the things they do.

In Guatemala I was bouncing along in a bus and got the idea to start taking the pictures in pairs, a context picture and a close up of weaving, thatching a house. It's a simple idea but it gave me the opportunity to pay homage to hand work and to those people.

Q: Where are the proceeds from "Hands of the Maya" going and why?

A: Since 1995, my husband and I have been providing the money to send graduates from the village primary school to high school in town. Their families are subsistence farmers and up until 1994 no one could afford the tuition, text books, lab fees, uniforms and shoes required for high school.

Eighth grade at the village school is devoted to studying for the Belize Secondary Entrance Exam. If you knew you couldn't afford to go the secondary school, why go to eighth grade to take a test? So lots of kids quit after the seventh grade.

After our offer, three kids passed the entrance exam and entered high school. One graduated from high school and has taught at the village school for the last three years.

Since then every year there have been more and more eligible. Last year we sent 11, and next fall there will be fifteen. It costs about $500.00 per year per student.

I've run out of money to do this. The advance from the book is all gone. I've already spent it on their scholarships. We hope to sell lots and lots of books so that I get royalties to continue to provide scholarships.

To learn about Crandall's eco-tours, which also fund the scholarships, visit her web site <www.rainforestrachel.com>.

Contact Sue.