Maybe we should be a little less concerned about the end of world and a little more concerned about

this....... From Raw Story.......

The rich Mayan culture will be in the global spotlight Friday when revelers — and doomsday watchers — will mark the end of a 5,200-year era as sketched out in the elaborate Mayan calendar.


But the plight of indigenous Mayas in the region will likely go undiscussed.

“The indigenous population was always seen as cheap labor and this persists to this day,” said Guatemalan anthropologist Alvaro Pop, a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

“They are seen as a tool and are not the focus of public policies.”

The Maya civilization reached its peak between the years 250 and 900, but then slipped into decline around 1200.

Three centuries later, during Spanish colonization, the Mayas were dispossessed of their lands and reduced to poverty as well as servitude.

Today, there are currently an estimated 20 to 30 million direct descendants of the ancient civilization living in southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where the indigenous group is most prevalent.


In Guatemala, ethnic Mayas often find themselves on the margins of society, with limited access to education, health care and other basic services. Their native languages are not officially recognized.

If theres an add that tagged along with the article, I don’t know how to get rid of it.
Sorry DU....