Ricardo Falla-Sánchez is a Guatemalan Jesuit and anthropologist. He studied in the United States and has dedicated his life to documenting the lives and cultures of the Quiché [K'iche'] Maya Indians in Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

 and other indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....

 in Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

. His writings document the massacres of Indian communities, their struggles for justice and human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

, and their revitalization with assistance by Catholic Action

Catholic Action

Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...

, an outside organization.

Books

• La conversión religiosa: estudio sobre un movimiento rebelde a las creencias tradicionales en San Antonio Ilotenango, Quiché, Guatemala (1948-1970), University of Texas at Austin, 1975
• Quiché Rebelde: estudio de un movimiento de conversión religiosa, rebelde a las creencias tradicionales, en San Antonio Ilotenango, Quiché (1948-1970), 1978; Quiché Rebelde: Religious Conversion, Politics, and Ethnic Identity in Guatemala, 2003
• Masacres de la selva: Ixcán, Guatemala, 1975-1982, 1993; Massacres in the Jungle: Ixcan, Guatemala, 1975-1982, 1994
• Historia de un gran amor: recuperación autobiografica de la experiencia con las Comunidades de Población en Resistencia, Ixcán, Guatemala, 1993

Archival Collections

The Falla-Sánchez papers now reside at the Marquette University

Marquette University

Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...

, a Jesuit university, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

. The collection includes reformatted papers and documentation regarding the indigenous Cuna, Quiché [K'iche'], and Yaruro Indians of Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

, Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

, and Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, respectively. compiled by a Jesuit social anthropologist The microfilm includes textual materials, maps, and charts such as various field notes and related materials on the life, culture, and victimization of indigenous people. The collection also includes photographic copy prints and negatives and interview recordings in separate series.