Community Development and Collaboration at Salinas de Los Nueve Cerros, Guatemala

Abstract

Since its founding in 2009 at the behest of local leaders, Proyecto Salinas de los Nueve Cerros has had the dual goals of scientific research and community development. Due to the regional political landscape, the initial goal of community-run ecotourism had to be abandoned. In its stead, the project has been seeking high-impact, low-cost development initiatives in collaboration with local villagers. The initiatives have had mixed levels of success, with best results in providing resources for multi-family wells and in organizing an ongoing lecture and workshop series detailing the results of the archaeological project. Through trial and error, project members have learned multiple lessons that can help other similar projects in the future. (1) Community investment in the project is essential, (2) as is the presence of a development specialist who can lead the efforts, leaving archaeologists to do archaeology. (3) Both the project and the local residents must have realistic expectations regarding the time the initiatives take and how ambitious they can be. (4) All of the initiatives must be informed by problems the locals themselves identify, and (5) it is possible to positively impact the region.