How do Mayan people keep their tradition while adapting to modern life?

Answer 1

The modern world slowly intrudes into Mayan Villages.

The houses consist of one room. They are made of sticks. They are now covered with tarps rather than thatch.

Water is brought by hand carried buckets.

Electricity comes to the small homes as one light bulb in the center of the one room house.

A small fire for cooking constantly burns keeping the house smoky all the time. It also keeps the house free of insects making jungle living possible.

Some new houses are being built with a concrete floor. They have two rooms. The kitchen with its eternal smoky flame no longer in the sleeping area.

In many villages many of the men are gone a good part of the year working as migrant laborers and performing any other task they can find. They return home for the local harvest and to renew family ties.

The children are learning the same information as any other student in the government schools.

As you can see, the Maya are adding outside things one at a time. One lightbulb to their houses.

On the other hand, the ordinary Maya Indian does not have much money. We have no idea what they would do if they could afford it.