Additional Materials

Discussion Questions

Why might government officials question or dismiss reports created by human rights organizations?
What is the importance of the Commission for Historical Clarifications’ 1999 conclusion?
Why were Indigenous voices and experiences often silenced or ignored during and after the Guatemalan Civil War?
How does language used in government documents shape public understanding of violence and accountability?
Why do you think there are so many U.S. documents that are “protecting” the Guatemalan Government, in a way, during the period of the Guatemalan Silent Holocaust?
What differences/similarities do you see between Rigoberta Menchú’s testimony and those of the other Mayan women in the documentary, “La Violencia”?
How can documentaries and oral histories help audiences better understand historical trauma and violence?
Why were Indigenous Maya communities disproportionately affected during the Guatemalan Civil War?
In what ways did disappearances and kidnappings function as tools of political control?
Why is it important to study sources created by both victims and perpetrators when examining historical violence?

Digital Resources

This digital collection preserves video testimonies from survivors and witnesses of the Guatemalan genocide, providing firsthand accounts of violence, displacement, and the experiences of Indigenous Maya communities during the civil war.

USC Shoah Foundation. “Guatemalan Collection.” Visual History Archive. https://sfi.usc.edu/collections/guatemalan

This digital testimony shares the experiences of Sebastián, an Ixil Maya survivor of the Guatemalan Civil War, and is also a valuable resource for historical photographs that help visually document the effects of violence, displacement, and poverty on Indigenous communities.

“Sebastián.” When We Were Young There Was A War. https://www.centralamericanstories.com/characters/sebastian/#top

This interview with Rigoberta Menchú, filmed in 2014, provides firsthand reflections on her experiences as an Indigenous activist and peace advocate while highlighting the lasting effects of violence against Maya communities in Guatemala and the struggle for justice.

Rigoberta Menchú. “Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Prize 1992: Official Interview.” YouTube video, 20:30. Posted by The Nobel Prize, November 7, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDMXsTKEVuo.

This digital resource documents legal efforts to hold Guatemalan military officials accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity, providing historical background, survivor testimonies, photographs, and court evidence related to violence against Indigenous Maya communities during the civil war.

Center for Justice and Accountability. “The Guatemala Genocide Case.” https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/the-guatemala-genocide-case/.

This digital archive provides declassified U.S. government documents, photographs, and historical resources related to the Guatemalan Civil War, making it a valuable source for researching U.S. involvement in Guatemala and the violence, disappearances, and genocide that occurred.

National Security Archive – Guatemala Project. “Guatemala Project.” https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/project/guatemala-project.