Sikhuluma ngokutholwa okuyinqaba kakhulu okwenziwa eMelika Ephakathi emashumini ambalwa eminyaka edlule - ikhanda elikhulu letshe lavubukulwa ekujuleni kwehlathi laseGuatemala. Ngezici ezinhle, izindebe ezincanyana, nekhala elikhulu, ubuso betshe babubheke esibhakabhakeni.
Ubuso bubonise izici ze-Caucasia ezingavamile ezingahambisani nanoma yimiphi imijaho yangaphambi kwe-Hispanic eyayidabuka emazweni aseMelika. Okutholakele kudonse ukunaka okukhulu ngaso leso sikhathi, kodwa ngokushesha nje, kwawa ku-radar futhi kwalahleka emibhalweni yomlando.
Ngo-1987, uDkt. Oscar Rafael Padilla Lara, udokotela wefilosofi, ummeli, nommeli wommeli, wathola isithombe sekhanda kanye nencazelo yokuthi kwatholakala. “Ndaweni ethile emahlathini aseGuatemala” nokuthi isithombe sathathwa ngeminyaka yawo-1950 ngumnikazi wendawo esatholwa kuyo. Kungaleso sikhathi lapho okutholakele kwaqala ukuvezwa umphakathi.
Isithombe nendaba bekushicilelwe esihlokweni esincane ngumhloli wamazwe owaziwayo uDavid Hatcher Childress.
U-Childress wakwazi ukulandelela uDkt. Padilla, owabika ukuthi uthole umndeni wakwaBiener, abanikazi bendawo lapho ikhanda letshe litholakala khona. U-Childress wabe eselandelela umndeni. Le ndawo itholakala kumakhilomitha ayi-10 ukusuka emphakathini omncane eLa Democracia, osendaweni eseningizimu yeGuatemala.
Nokho, uDkt. Padilla uthe wayedangele lapho efika endaweni futhi wazibonela ukuthi yayicekeleke phansi. “Ikhanda letshe lacekelwa phansi amavukelambuso aphikisana nohulumeni eminyakeni eyishumi edlule; Amehlo akhe, ikhala nomlomo kwase kungasekho.” UPadilla akaphindanga wabuyela esifundeni ngenxa yokuhlasela kwezikhali phakathi kwamasosha kahulumeni namavukelambuso esifundeni.
Ukubhujiswa kwekhanda; kwakusho ukuthi le ndaba yaphela ngokufa okusheshayo, kwaze kwaba yilapho abenzi befilimu bethi “Isambulo samaMayans: 2012 and Beyond” basebenzisa lesi sithombe ukusho ukuthi abantu bangaphandle bake baxhumana nempucuko edlule.
Umenzi ushicilele idokhumenti ebhalwe umvubukuli waseGuatemala uHector E Majia:
“Ngiyaqinisa ukuthi leli tshe lesikhumbuzo alinawo amaMayan, amaNahuatl, ama-Olmec, nanoma iyiphi enye impucuko yangaphambi kweSpanishi. Wenziwa impucuko engavamile futhi ephakeme kakhulu enolwazi olumangalisayo okungekho nomlando walo wokuba khona kwayo kule planethi.”
Kodwa lokhu kusakazwa kwaba nomphumela ophambene kuphela, okubeka yonke indaba ezandleni zezithameli ezingabaza ngokufanelekile ezazicabanga ukuthi yonke le nto kwakuwumbukiso nje wokukhangisa.
Kodwa-ke, kubonakala sengathi abukho ubufakazi bokuthi ikhanda elikhulu lalingekho nokuthi isithombe sokuqala asisona esangempela noma ukuthi i-akhawunti kaDkt Padilla ayinembile. Uma sicabanga ukuthi ikhanda letshe lingokoqobo, singabuza imibuzo elandelayo: Livelaphi? Ubani owenze lokhu? Futhi ngani?
Indawo okubikwa ukuthi kwatholakala kuyo ikhanda letshe, iLa Democracia, isidume ngamakhanda amatshe abheke phezulu esibhakabhakeni, kanye nekhanda letshe elitholakala ngempela ehlathini. Kuyaziwa ukuthi lezi zadalwa yimpucuko yase-Olmec, eyachuma phakathi kuka-1400 no-400 BC.
Kodwa-ke, ikhanda letshe elivezwe esithombeni sango-1950 alihlanganyeli ngezici noma isitayela njengoba kwenza amakhanda akwa-Olmec.
Eminye imibuzo eyaphakanyiswa yayihlanganisa ukuthi lesi sakhiwo sasiyikhanda nje noma sasifaka isidumbu ngaphansi kwaso, sifana nezithombe zase-Easter Island, nokuthi ikhanda letshe lalixhunywe kunoma yiziphi ezinye izakhiwo eziseduze.
Kungaba kuhle ukuba nezimpendulo zale mibuzo ethakazelisayo, kodwa ngokudabukisayo, ukunaka okuzungeza ifilimu. "Isambulo samaMayans: 2012 naNgaphesheya" waba nesandla ekugqibeni le ndaba emakhasini omlando.
Singathemba kuphela ukuthi umhloli wamazwe othile onesibindi uzophinde athole indaba futhi anqume ukumba okwengeziwe emfihlakalweni yalesi sakhiwo sasendulo esiyindida.
