Rigoberta Menchú

BY Dionisio Dayton

BirthJanuary 9,1959

Rigoberta Menchú was born January 9, 1959. She was raised by her parents in the Quiche branch of the Mayan culture. Unlike other babies she didn’t learn to speak Spanish, she only learned Quiche.

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ma-Mo/Mench-Rigoberta.html

This is what Rigoberta’s childhood home may have looked like.

Rough Childhood1959-1970

Throughout her early life she was overworked and poorly fed. From the time she was eight she worked on a coastal Guatemalan plantation. During this time two of her brothers died. At the age of thirteen she worked as a maid for a wealthy family and faced racial discrimination for the first time.

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ma-Mo/Mench-Rigoberta.html

This is her standing on a beach she often visited as a young child.

Civil War1960

Start of Guatemalan Civil War. Over 200,000 people were killed. A few thousand citizens just disappeared never to be found again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemalan_Civil_War

The men on the left are soldiers in the civil war.

Rebellion1962

A guerrilla movement starts in Guatemala. Small groups of people attempted to overthrow the government. The Government responded with force and killed all of the protesters and their supporters.

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ma-Mo/Mench-Rigoberta.html

These are Guatemalan people rebelling in 1962.

Joins the CUC1979

Rigoberta joined the Committee of Peasant Union. These peasants wanted better working conditions and overall life for the poor in Guatemala. Over the years she became more active in the corporation.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1992/tum-bio.html

This is a picture of some peasants Menchu fought to free.

Wins Nobel Peace Prize1992

Rigoberta Menchu wins the Nobel Peace Prize. She made Guatemala an equal place for all people to live. She had been living in exile because of threats on her life but came out to receive her award.

http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/contemporary-08.html

This is her wearing the Nobel Peace Prize.

Runs For President2007

In 2007, Menchu started an indigenous political party called Encuentro por Guatemala. She decided to run for president. Unfortunately she was eliminated in the first round of voting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigoberta_Mench%C3%BA

This is Rigoberta in an interview while she is running for president.

Current Life2010

Menchu now lives alone in Guatemala. She has carried out her dream of establishing equality in her country. She will live in peace for the rest of her life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigoberta_Mench%C3%BA

This is her relaxing in a rocking chair at her house.

THEEND