The academy is the initial step taken by the Mayan communities in Guatemala to regain control of their cultural inheritance. Representing all linguistic groups in the country, the group makes available, through standardization of their written language, Mayan documents, myths and tales preserved by oral tradition. Rejecting the more than half dozen Mayan written languages developed by foreign anthropologists, the Academia has taken a singular step in the empowerment and unity of the Mayans.



The aim of the Academia is to revitalise Mayan cultures and languages and promote the teaching of them in the primary schools in Guatemala, where there is a majority of indigenous children.



Today most primary schools teach the Mayan alphabet and give classes in each village's mother tongue using school materials produced by the Academia. The members of the Academia see Guatemala in an era of revitalisation and rising awareness of Mayan cultures. In specific terms, the Academia is a unifying force for all ethnic groups, a force that enhances Guatemalas multi- cultural heritage.