Quetzil Castañeda has devoted his career to studying the history of his ancestors in Mexico and Guatemala. Castañeda, Founding Director of the Open School of Ethnography and Anthropology, joins Nick Sterne to discuss the recent fascination with Maya culture and its connection to doomsday theories. Castañeda explains that the Maya calendar’s connection to the end of the world is something that has been perpetuated by business and media outlets that are profiting off the increased hype around the topic. The remaining Maya population is using this opportunity to promote learning about their culture to shed light on some of the existing misconceptions. Castañeda goes on to discuss the doomsday effect on tourism in Central America and Mexico. He finishes his discussion by explaining what lessons Westerners can draw from the Maya people. *This video was recorded as a part of the Indiana University CIBER Focus Vodcast Series.
