Rigoberta does not keep her personal story separate from the history and political struggle of her people. These aspects of life are interdependent, since the political actions of so many brave
compañeros—including her own—derive from the personal experiences of grief and suffering. It is precisely because of this interconnection between the personal and the political that Rigoberta prefers to keep certain aspects of her life secret. Indeed, the elements of her identity that she considers most precious are also those that are most closely tied to the survival of her community’s cultural heritage—which has so often been threatened by external influences.