Weaving the Past: A History of Latin America's Indigenous Women from the Prehispanic Period to the Present

There are many people to whom I owe thanks because I received so much support and advice during the course of writing this book, but my deepest appreciation goes to two Oxford editors, one past (Thomas LeBien) who helped me think up the idea for the book and was greatly encouraging, and one present (Susan Ferber) who has been so consistently insightful, patient, and helpful. I am very grateful, as well, to the many people, friends and acquaintances (some I know only through the Internet), who answered questions, gave advice, shared unpublished work, or read parts or all of the manuscript in the most generous ways. These include Thomas Abercrombie, Karen Olsen Bruhns, Elizabeth Brumfiel, David Carey, Susan Deeds, Christine Eber, Karen Graubart, Lynn Guitar, John Hart (who forwarded me so many useful posts from listservs relating to Chiapas and the EZLN), Rebecca Horn, Jean Jackson, Rosemary Joyce, Christine Kovic, Blanca Muratorio, Eileen Mulhare, June Nash, María Rodríguez Shadow, Matthew Restall, Mark Saka, Barry Sell, Barbara Sommers, Kevin Terraciano, and Mary Weismantel. They of course bear no responsibility for the interpretations set forth in the book. One of the most memorable parts of the period of research was a trip to Peru in May 2000, where I had the pleasure of meeting María Emma Mannarelli, who arranged for me to give a talk at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, and, especially, Teresa Vergara and her husband, Francisco Quiroz, who offered help and friendship that made the trip possible and so valuable. A trip in spring 2002 to Guatemala was also memorable, especially a meeting I attended, facilitated by the NGO Madre, where representatives of the group CONAVIGUA (National Coalition of Guatemalan Widows) spoke. While detailing sorrowful events of the past, they emphasized the importance of building democracy for the future with an optimism that, while tempered by reality, remains unforgettable.

-vii-