2026/3/16

On Friday, March 13, the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies Research Center for Latin-American Studies held a lecture titled "Los mayas de la conquista: del vínculo personal al vínculo territorial" (Mayans of the conquest: From personal to territorial bonds).

Professor Sergio Quezada of Mexico's Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (Autonomous University of Yucatan) started by explaining how pre-Columbian Mayan societal functions revolved around personal ties between the monarch and their retainers, and between chiefs and farmers. He followed this up by exploring how, during the colonial era, the Spanish restricted the movement of indigenous people and settled them permanently in pueblos (villages), which fostered a "villager" consciousness that tied people to the locale (expressed via pueblo name) where their home was located, rather than interpersonal relationships.

The lecture was carried out in hybrid format, with 23 participants joining both in person and online, and the professor thoughtfully answered every one of their questions. It proved to be a highly rewarding experience for all.

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