I, Rigoberta Menchú: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

After these various painful experiences, from working as a maid in the capital to seeing her parents persecuted, Rigoberta felt confused as to why Indians were exploited and treated so unfairly. She now understood that her enemies were landowners, soldiers, and the rich. Although the term “enemy” was foreign to Indian culture, the recognition of oppression led them to use it, thus deviating from their insistence on the equality of all members of society.

When discussing self-defense, Rigoberta criticized official narratives of colonization, which affirm that the Indians did not defend themselves against the Spaniards. Her grandfather, by contrast, had told her that one of the methods that Indian used to fight the enemy were ambushes. He argued that, if their ancestors fought in such a way, it was valid for the community to fight against the landowners. Now convinced of this, Rigoberta’s family gathered the village to explain that taking part in armed struggle meant that many people were likely be killed. In the meantime, as the community discussed these matters collectively, a nearby village became the target of violence: its elected representatives (along with various men, women, and children) were kidnapped after attempting to oppose the landowners’ land grabs.

One day, 90 soldiers arrived at Rigoberta’s village. They stayed for two weeks in the community house, stealing food from the fields. One night, a soldier crawled near Rigoberta’s house to steal potatoes. Rigoberta’s mother, initially believing the soldier was a dog, comes out of the house with her dogs and sticks, ready to beat the intruder. When the soldier called out, Rigoberta’s mother told him that he should work to earn his food and that, by behaving the way he did, he was protecting rich people who did not even give him food. She told him that the village worked very hard to obtain these crops, and that she would beat him if he didn’t leave at once. He hurried away, and the next day, all the soldiers left the village.

Then, during a meeting, the community decided to organize self-defense methods, temporarily putting aside their celebrations and customs to focus on survival. They asked God to defend them in this new pursuit, knowing well that they could be tortured and murdered by opposing the powerful. At the meeting, everyone shared different tools and ideas about how to fight the enemy. One of the first measures they took was to set up the village houses closer to one another, in order form a more compact group. They also prepared secret escape routes in each house.

Then, they prepared secret weapons, such as traps, initially meant for capturing small animals but which, when hidden in a ditch, could trap human beings—in this case, soldiers. The community knew that soldiers always came on foot, usually in a state of fright, because of their conviction that guerrillas hide in the mountains. Rigoberta notes that soldiers often had no idea what guerrillas were, sometimes believing them to be wild animals.

Through repeated practice runs, the villagers developed different methods through which they could escape if the army came. Everyone took an equal part in these strategies—men, women, and children—and all decisions were taken collectively. They decided that someone would always keep watch over the village, in order to warn if the enemy was approaching. If the army came, the villagers would all hide in a secret camp in the mountain, because hiding away was better than being massacred. The village also depended on dogs, hidden in a house on the path, as a warning strategy. In Rigoberta’s view, this confirmed the village’s interconnection with the natural world.

The village also prepared weapons to use if ever they found themselves unable to escape. They practiced using machetes, stones, hot water, chile, salt, and even lime against their enemies. When used in a knowledgeable way, these simple methods can blind and stop the enemy, although they are not a match against machine guns. However, Rigoberta notes that their main weapon was the Bible—which, through its stories, helped to educate the villagers.