This book is a testimony of Rigoberta Menchu's life. Her story allows the reader to experience her life as a poor indigenous woman growing up in Guatemala. Bringing to light the struggle and fight of indigenous people after the Spanish conquest. Being of the Quiche ethnic group she was very connected with nature and family. Growing up Rigoberta and her family worked at the Fincas. It took eight years of cultivating the land for a good yeild, losing two brothers. She stated how most Indian families suffered from malnutrition, and most do not reach fifteen years of age. There was a strong respect for the natural world and earth within her community. At the age of 12 she joined the communal, taking over some of her mothers roles in the community; also becoming a Cathechist and teaching the doctrine to the community. In chapter 13, Rigoberta's grows to dispise the finca due to her friend dying from pestocide poisoning at the cotton feild. She decided not to marry but instead move to the capital where she is offered a job as a maid. There she was mistreated by the mistress and her sons; then deciding to leave. Rigoberta's…show more content… There was a strong respect for the natural world and earth within her community. This book allowed me to expand my understanding about identity in the Americas through nature and their incorrperation of nature in all aspects of life. "From very small children we receive an education which is very different from white children, ladinos. We Indians have more contact with nature." (Rigoberta 65) Rigoberta was thought as child not to waste water, that water was pure and sacred. In America today and all over the world there is mass wasting, if we kept in mind the importance of not wasting and to apperciate the smallest of things we would all be in a much healthier environment and
