WEBVTT

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[sil.]

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The Cuchumatanes mountains
of North-Western Guatemala

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are the highest in Central America.

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For centuries they have been inhabited
by the descendents of the ancient Maya.

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[music]

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In 900 AD, Zaculeu was one of the
principal centers of Mayan civilization.

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[music]

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Today, nearby Huehuetenango is the capital
and economic center of the region.

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[sil.]

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Many of Guatemala\'s Indians live in remote
rural villages separated from each other

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by rugged mountain terrain in as many
as 22 different Indian languages.

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Those who live in the Northwestern Highlands
are called the Mam, meaning grandfather.

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These Mam Indians are traveling
to Todos Santos Cuchumatan,

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the village of All Saints. A
Spaniard called Pedro de Alvarado

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conquered Guatemala in 1525.
Under Spanish rule,

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Todos Santos like many Highland
villages remained isolated

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at an altitude of nearly 9000 feet above
sea level. Today, the Todos Santos Indians

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still retain their own language, customs
and distinctive way of dressing.

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In the mid 1960s, the first road
was built to the Highlands.

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At a time when plantation owners on
the Pacific coast needed to transport

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greater numbers of Indian workers
to harvest cotton. With this road

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came the first direct link between
Todos Santos and the outside world.

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[sil.]

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[music]

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I am a Shaman. My work is to

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burn incense to light candles and to speak
with the spirits of the mountaintops.

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This is the work of a Shaman. It is our
heritage and we carry it on to this day.

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[non-English narration]

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I burn incense and light candles and
pray for the birds, sheep, horses, corn,

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potatoes, and money.

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[non-English narration]

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Our ancestors established this custom when the people were
dying of hunger. It was made for this community and no other.

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I continue because I feel it in my
heart, because it is for our people,

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it is the custom of the
community, which I carry on.

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We, the Shaman go to the summit of the
mountains to speak with them for our survival.

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So, there will be no high
winds or freezing rain.

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That is how the people of Todos Santos keep the
earth from shaking. We respect God and the Siros.

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[non-English narration]

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There is less ritual now,

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because they are all Catholics. They
no longer think about the Siros.

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[non-English narration]

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[sil.]

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This church was built by Indians under the
direction of Spanish missionaries in 1580,

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but for centuries it remained empty and
the Shaman used it for Mayan rituals.

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Since the road was built, many changes
have taken place in Todos Santos.

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A Catholic priest came to live in the village and within
15 years over half the population was Christianized.

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[music]

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We are in a stage of evolution. In
developing countries the changes reach

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even the small villages. It is a
transformation. The people are changing,

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because many times working with the
hoe and the machete all day long

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doesn\'t give much satisfaction.

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[sil.]

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It is necessary that man
seek a better life.

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Here in Todos Santos,

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we work hard. We get up at 5
and light the fire first.

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[sil.]

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Then we sweep, wash the corn and
bring it to the mill to be ground.

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[sil.]

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When we return, we make our tea.
After breakfast, we weave a little

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and then we go to wash.

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[sil.]

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Everyday, we go to wash

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because we must care for our
children and our mother.

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And so, we gather all the clothes
and go down to the stream.

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[sil.]

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There are 12,000 people living in the area
called Todos Santos, cultivating their corn,

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beans and squash on small family farms.

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[sil.]

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Is this corn enough to last
the family the whole year?

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No, it is not enough. We have
to buy more in the market.

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How is the harvest this year?

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A little less than last year.

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At one time the Indians were self-sufficient.
Today, they are not. A growing population

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on a limited land base and the sub-division
of land with each generation has resulted in

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less than 5 acres of land per person, not
enough to feed the average family of 8

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through the year. Much of the
land is poor, rocky and overused

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and the forests are being depleted. As the Indians
travel higher and higher into the mountains

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to get their firewood.

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Desiderio Martin Pablo is a respected community
leader and a former mayor of Todos Santos.

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[sil.]

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This is a government plant nursery.
I am planting these little trees

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to give to the people later when they are larger.
What I do is, I go to the mountains to gather seeds,

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prepare the land, plant
them and care for them.

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[non-English narration]

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I\'m doing this to reforest the
land here in Todos Santos,

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because for years, the people are not planting
anything. They are stripping the land

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and there is nothing left for
the children, for the future.

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[non-English narration]

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So, they gave us this job here, but it
is for the community for all the people.

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[non-English narration]

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I also work with the
people to make terraces,

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so that they can conserve the
land, the little they have.

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In Guatemala, 65% of the
arable land is owned by

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2% of the population. The best and richest land
owned by army officers and a few Ladino families

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is used for the export crops
of coffee, sugar and cotton.

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While the Indians must grow their crops on steep
hillsides or on patches of land between their homes.

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The land is poor. Needs fertilizer

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and there is too little
land and too many people.

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[sil.]

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The Mendozas live in an extended family
compound, not far from the village center.

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[sil.]

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Felsdina is the head of the household.

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[sil.]

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Louisa is married to Felsdina\'s
eldest son, Alejandro.

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Santiaga is Felsdina\'s daughter

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and is married to one of Louisa\'s son.

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[sil.]

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Maria is married to another
one of Luisa\'s son.

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[sil.]

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They have 12 children among them.

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[sil.]

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Where are your husbands?

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My husband and Maria\'s are working in
Coban, because there is no work here.

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[non-English narration]

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We\'re poor, that\'s why they
went to look for work far away.

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They send us some money and we work
hard to make some pants and shirts

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and my mother goes to sell them in
Guatemala City to help with our expenses.

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That\'s how we get by.

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Yes, I go to Guatemala
City to Huehuetenango.

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Sometimes, people come here to buy from me.
Don\'t you have any land?

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No, we have a little, but it
is not enough to feed us.

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[sil.]

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Franscisco, one of Louisa\'s son\'s

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is 12 years old.

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Where did you go?

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[non-English narration]

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Oh, way up there in the mountain.
How long did you have to walk?

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One hour. Where is your father? He
is on the plantation. He is working.

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Where? In Colotenango, on the plantation.

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What other jobs do you have?

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I have to get hay for this horse

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and I have to get another
load of food tomorrow.

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Is it hard work?

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[sil.]

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Oh, yes. Very hard. How
many children do you have?

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[non-English narration]

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Eight alive and two dead,
that makes 10 children.

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Where are they?

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[non-English narration]

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Porfirio and Louis are working in Coban.

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Rosa is working on the coast. Rosa
and Pedro are helping their father.

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How old is Rosa?

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Ten years old. And Pedro? Eight years old.

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Don\'t the children go to school?
Yes. But when they come back,

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then they go to school. Do
you want any more children?

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Oh, no!

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I don\'t want any more children.
Ten is enough.

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Too much work to feed them and cloth them.
Ten children! I don\'t want any more.

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[non-English narration]

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[sil.]

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Benito Ramirez is the only Indian
school teacher in the village.

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[non-English narration]

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For a better life, it is necessary
perhaps that man learn more,

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that he learn to better utilize the
land, that he be better educated,

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that all his children go to school, because here in
Todos Santos the majority of the people are illiterate.

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[non-English narration]

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I teach children from 6 to 7 years old.

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I teach them to speak Spanish because

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everyone here speaks Mam and when they get to
school, the cant communicate with the teacher.

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So, I must teach them their
first Spanish words.

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[non-English narration]

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I am helping my father.

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This roof is very old. We are
putting on a new tin roof.

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This type of wood only lasts 5 or 6 years,

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but the tin lasts 15 or 20 years.

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How much does it cost?
Three hundred dollars.

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In the past, it was the custom of the people
of Todos Santos together, together to build

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and repair each other\'s houses. Today,
because of the shift to a cash economy,

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and because many are leaving the
village, the old customs are dying

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and Benito now has to hire workers
to help put up the new roof.

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The people go the plantations,
because they are in need.

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When prices rise, things
become expensive for them.

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And here in the village,

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they can earn very little. On the
coast, they think they can earn more,

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so they go down there for
a few months each year.

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[non-English narration]

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I went to de Finca because
I had to build my house.

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Since there is no money here in Todos
Santos, I went to Huehuetenango

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to borrow 300 dollars from a contractor.

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[non-English narration]

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I went to work on de Finca for 5 months and I
must return because I still owe some money

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and so, I must leave again.

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[non-English narration]

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How old are you? Eighty-three.

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Did you ever go to the Coast?

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No. Never. My husband died a long time ago,

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20… 30 years ago, there was no cotton.

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[non-English narration]

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To the coffee plantations my husband went.

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And now, my son Domingo is going.

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How long will they stay?

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One month. And the child?

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Only the men are going. It is too
hot for the children down there.

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[sil.]

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Almost everyone in the village has
gone to work on the plantations.

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[non-English narration]

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I used to go to the coffee plantations

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but I am too old now. I
cant carry the loads.

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My sons and daughters go,
because they need money.

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Graciela…

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Do you go to the Coast?

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Yes. My whole family goes. My mother goes and
my sister stays here to care for the house.

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Otherwise, she would go too.

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How is the life down there?

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It is okay. For me it is okay.
Because I am poor, I need to work.

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What about down in Guatemala City with you?
Is there any work for me down there?

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I don\'t know! What a pity!

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[sil.]

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Desiderio is one of the few men

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who doesn\'t have to leave the village. He earns
about 80 dollars a month at the plant nursery

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and has enough land on which to grow
his crops. His children go to school

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and two of his sons are school
teachers in other villages.

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I think migration will continue
always, because in the cotton fields,

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they can earn some money. People
want to plant their corn,

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potatoes, other crops. They
have to buy fertilizer.

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So they go to solve some of their problems.

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The people leave.

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Migrant labor has been a part of Indian life
for centuries. When the Spaniards arrived,

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the Indians were forced to work as slaves
in the silver mines. In the 18th century,

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there was compulsory labor and
still later, contract labor

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on the sugar and coffee plantations. Today, the lack of land
and the need for cash are forcing more and more Indians

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to work outside the village.

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[sil.]

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After the Indian maize harvest in October,

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labor contractors hired by the plantation owners
arrive in the main square to sign up workers

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for the cotton harvest in November.

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How much do you advance the men?

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10 or 20 dollars, so that
they sign up for work.

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How long will they stay?

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One month. 30 days of work.

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How much do you earn? I earn from

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75 to 100 dollars a month.

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How much do the men earn? They
earn 40 or 50 dollars a month,

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maybe more.

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[sil.]

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Saturday is market day in Todos Santos.

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To supplement their food
supply, the Indians must pay

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up to 11 cents a pound for corn,
about 30 cents a pound for beans

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and from 5 to 12 cents
a pound for potatoes.

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Guatemala has a 15% annual inflation rate,

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yet the average per capita income for
the Indians remains 100 dollars a year.

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[sil.]

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Cash is also needed for the fiesta of
Todos Santos on November 1st and 2nd.

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Why are you killing this sheep?

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For the fiesta to eat.
How many will you kill?

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Just one. Many families invite
neighbors and relatives

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to a special meal on the eve of the fiesta.

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How much does one cost?
This one cost 13 dollars.

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The big ones cost from 18 to 20 dollars.

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[sil.]

00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:53.000
[music]

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The people who work all year with the hoe and the
machete are who work on the coast to earn some money.

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When the day of the fiesta
arrives, they all reunite

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and together they celebrate the fiesta. The money
they have earned during the year is spent in one day.

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[music]

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How much did it cost to rent your horse? 50
dollars. Where did you get the money? On the coast.

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Will you ride all day tomorrow?
Maybe. Do you like it a lot?

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Oh, yes.

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[music]

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Participation in the Fiesta\'s activities brings
prestige and social status in the community,

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but it is expensive. Food and
alcohol must be purchased

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and musicians, horses or costumes rented.

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[music]

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These men have formed a Quadri or team of horse
riders. A year ago, according to tradition,

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they made a religious promise to ride their
horses in the Querida of All Saints Day.

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They believe that if they fail to
fulfill this promise, they will die.

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Tonight on October 31st,

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in the company of their families and friends,
they will dance all through the night

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and drink a strong sugarcane liquor called
aguardiente to prepare themselves for the Querida.

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[music]

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[sil.]

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Some ride their horses

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simply because they believe that by
riding horses they are important.

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They believe people will
say, this is a man,

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he has money, he has a
house, he has a wife.

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Therefore, he is an important man.

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[sil.]

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They ride horses and they show who
they are, what it is to be a man.

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[sil.]

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But then, it is a title,
a mark of importance.

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It is like a final goal to
be a rider in the Querida.

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[sil.]

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Half way through the day,
the riders take a break

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and everyone walks up to the
main plaza to see the dancing.

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Fiestas like these were introduced by the Spaniards in the 16th
century in an effort to convert the Indians to Catholicism.

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One of the favorite dances is
the Baile de la Conquistadores

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in which the Indians perform skits
marking the Spanish conquerors.

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[sil.]

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[music]

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For me, the fiesta is a happy event, but for
the farmers, the real owners of this land,

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the fiesta sometimes is sad. They
dance, they ride the horses,

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but they have problems.

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They think by drinking they can forget their
problems. They leave their sadness by the wayside.

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This year was happy.

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Next year, who knows if they will still be here
or if they will no longer be in this world.

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They think of their lives, but very
often they think more of death.

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[sil.]

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November 2nd is the day of the dead.

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In Todos Santos, it is a special time for
the people to visit their dead relatives,

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to comfort them and to entertain them.
They will dance and drink,

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weep and wail, honoring their dead relatives and
thinking of the day when they will see them again

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in their other world.

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[music]

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[non-English narration]

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[music]

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[sil.]

00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:38.000
[music]

00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:43.000
[sil.]

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[sil.]

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After the fiesta, come the problems, comes the
pain, because many drink and wind up in jail

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or they fall from their
horses or they fight.

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One day of joy, next comes the
pain, next comes the migration.

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Everyone goes to the Coast to pay
off their debts from the fiesta.

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We are counting up the people
who will leave tomorrow,

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the 25th of November. They
will get there the next day.

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[non-English narration]

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How do they go? By bus? By truck. Right now the
trucks are coming down to pick up the people.

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What is the work like?

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Oh, its easy.

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It is very hot, but all you have to do is see if the
cotton is ready, pick it up and put it in a sack.

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[non-English narration]

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How is the food down there?

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Oh, the people get their food
right down their in the fields.

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The cotton fields are sprayed every
morning with heavy doses of insecticides

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which cause fever and nausea in the workers
and whose long-term medical effects

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have not yet been determined.

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[non-English narration]

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Life on the plantation is really hard.

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The problem is that we go with the
children in trucks and it is very hot

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and the sun is very strong.

00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.999
[non-English narration]

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The truck only has a plank to
sit on and it rocks and shakes

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and we don\'t get there until the next day.
That\'s how the children get sick.

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[non-English narration]

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When we get there, we
receive a sack and rations

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and the people go to work.

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I make tortillas for the people and
they all go down to the fields.

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And what do they do?

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Pick cotton. There are some
who pick a lot, 200 pounds.

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Some pick 100 pounds, it depends.
And how much do they pay?

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At that time, one dollar for 100 pounds.

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A penny for each pound of cotton.

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How is the food down there? Oh,
it is not like here at home.

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Down there, they only
give us beans and maize.

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Only beans, morning, noon and night.

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[non-English narration]

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If we want anything else,
we must buy it ourselves.

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That is why we sell our weavings.

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Even if we just eat a
little, it is different.

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Here, I\'m in the shade. But down
there, it is an effort to stay alive.

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[sil.]

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Since the road to Todos Santos
and others like it were built,

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half a million people travel to
the coastal plantations each year

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for the coffee, sugar and cotton harvests.

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On the plantations, the workers meet
Indians from other parts of the country.

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They learn that their own problems are not
unique that others face the same problems of

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discrimination, poor working
conditions and poor wages.

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The people are waking up.

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They are beginning to demand their rights,
because we have rights as well as the Ladinos.

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Maybe one day, things will be equalized,
so that they don\'t think of us

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as their servants, but as human
beings, the same as they are.

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[sil.]

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[music]