El Bosque de Margarito : Ri Uk'iche'laj Ri Tat Margarito

Margarito's Forest is set in Saq Ja', a small, remote village in the mountains of central Guatemala. The peaceful existence of the Mayan families living in Saq Ja' came to an abrupt end after a military coup in 1954. The overthrow led to a series of military dictators and a long dirty war, which included genocide of the Maya. In a series of assaults between 1981 and 1982, the village of Saq Ja' was destroyed. Many villagers died or fled. Among those who fled was Virgilio Vicente. In response to this humanitarian crisis, the Sanctuary Movement was formed in the 1980s to welcome Central American refugees into the United States. In 1986 Don Virgilio was taken into sanctuary at University Church in Chicago, Illinois and a partnership was established.In April of 2007 I made my first trip to Guatemala as a member of the University Church delegation. On our last day in Saq Ja', Don Virgilio took the delegation on a tour of various community projects. It was a hot day and so he took us to a cool, densely forested part of the mountain to sit and talk. At that time I was struck by the stark contrast between the lush old-growth forest where we sat, and the fields and scrub brush that surrounded it. I asked Don Virgilio if he knew anything about the forest. He told me that Margarito, a man with a peculiar love of trees, had planted the forest. He added that although Margarito was killed during the war, his daughter, María Guadalupe, was now living here and tending his forest. With this intriguing introduction, and a series of interviews with María Guadalupe, the development of Margarito's Forest was set into motion. This book, the story of Don Margarito and his forest as told by María Guadalupe, resulted from the partnership forged between the people of Saq Ja' and University Church. It is a story of Maya culture and wisdom passed from one generation to the next. It is a celebration of Margarito's forest and its preservation.