The Eternal Spirit: The Resplendent Quetzal, Guatemala, and Indigenous Resilience

abstract

Emerald and ruby. Elegance and beauty. The resplendent Quetzal bird of Central America has represented Guatemala for centuries. Today, the quetzal embodies more than just aesthetic beauty, but the spirit and history of Guatemala. From Mayan mythology and knowledge to the economic and political symbol of modern Gua, the quetzal has remained a constant. However, as ecological devastation and social unrest arise, the very existence of the quetzal and Guatemala is in question. The answer may very well rest within the history of this sacred bird.s ecological devastation and social unrest arises, the very existence of the quetzal and Guatemala is in question. Perhaps the answer may very well rest within the history of this sacred bird.

Joseph Muñoz

Joseph Muñoz is a first-year student studying Illustration. His interest in history, culture, and literature has led him to places beyond the canvas that you’d least expect. He tries to find where he fits into life’s painting in everything he does. 

The belief in animals as protectors and messengers has been accepted in cultures and societies across the world for millennia. Humanity’s shared existence with natural life and environments inspires and insights into imagination. Through lived experiences, community, and oral history, people create connections with the world that elevate their beliefs and ideals. In the United States, the Bald Eagle symbolizes ideals of freedom and prosperity. It is a powerful image representing the U.S. government, economy, policy, and citizenship. This symbol reflects the values and identity that Americans hold dear.

The Resplendent Quetzal holds immense significance for Guatemala, symbolizing “freedom and independence” (Trama Textiles). Its emerald green feathers, bright red underbelly, and long iridescent tails are featured on the country’s flag, postage stamps, and currency, reflecting the reverence and pride citizens have for their nation (code GTQ). However, the quetzal’s significance dates back to pre-colonial times, particularly among the Maya, who viewed the bird as divine and a symbol of identity.

For a single animal, the image of a divine being and a national symbol of sovereignty is a heavy load to bear, especially when the species is threatened. Preserving the quetzal’s stability not only safeguards the species but also plays a role in challenging Western ideologies and colonial systems in Guatemala. This paper will discuss the significance of the Resplendent Quetzal to Guatemala and how its preservation could contribute to the dissolution of these systems. 

Guatemala’s first encounter with the Resplendent Quetzal dates back to the 16th century and beyond (Harvey, W. J., Nogue, S., Stansell, N., Adolf, C., Long, P. R., & Willis, K). “The quetzal is associated with the snake god Quetzalcoatl and [is] seen as a symbol for goodness and light. Quetzalcoatl was... represented as a serpent adorned with the feathers of a Resplendent Quetzal” (Holbrook Travel). This relationship with divinity was valued by the Maya and Aztecs so much that its name means “‘precious’ or ‘sacred’” in several Mesoamerican languages (Holbrook Travel). Additionally, “[t]he importance of the bird increased as Spanish influence began to take hold of the country.

“One Guatemalan legend says that when Tecún Umán, a prince and warrior of the Quiché Maya, fought against the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, a quetzal was flying overhead. Tecún Umán was able to disarm Alvarado on his first strike but was killed in the second strike by a spear penetrating his chest. It is then that a quetzal allegedly flew down to Tecún Umán and dipped his chest in the brave prince's blood…Another Mayan tale states that the quetzal was once known for its beautiful song, but after the Spanish conquered the land, it vowed only sing again when the land is finally free” (Holbrook Travel; Platt, John R).

On top of this rich lore, the belief that the bird “would let itself die of hunger, rather than living in captivity,” speaks to a strong sense of social and communal pride Indigenous and non-Indigenous Guatemalans had for their changing country (CE Noticias Financieras). Originating in 19th-century literature, author María Elena Toledo Aparicio de Robles cites “The victory of the conservative party over the liberal one by General Rufino Barrios on 1871, led to the change of coat of arms of the conservatives” (CE Noticias Financieras).“His mother…Doña Francisca, liked to write poems and had written one to the quetzal…” (CE Noticias Financieras). Conclusively, “[w]hen General Barrios learned of this poem,” which alluded to the bird as one that could not live in captivity, “he immediately decided that the quetzal would be part of [their] national coat of arms and [their] symbol bird” (CE Noticias Financieras). This relatively recent historical account cemented the presence and importance of the quetzal in Guatemala.

In recent years, Guatemala has been globally recognized as an economically and industrially viable country. One of their biggest industries is palm oil. The University of Michigan assets “Guatemala is projected to become the world’s third-largest palm oil producer by 2030 after Indonesia and Malaysia…” (University of Michigan). “Guatemalan palm oil plantations expanded an estimated 215,785 acres [from] [2009-2019], with 28% of the new cropland replacing forests” (Michigan State University). However, Guatemala’s economic success is not without controversy. An investigation conducted by the University examined Guatemala's palm oil industry and “an influential environmental certification system called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO” from 2009 to 2019 (University of Michigan).
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This research utilized “satellite imagery and machine learning to quantify deforestation attributable to palm oil plantation expansion in Guatemala over a decade.” It audited “shipment records and other data sources to reconstruct corporate supply chains and to link transnational conglomerates to palm oil-driven deforestation” (University of Michigan). Their findings conclude “[a]s of 2019, more than 60% of the palm oil plantations in the study area were in Key Biodiversity Areas. KBAs are sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems” (University of Michigan). The relevance of this research and information provides insight into the Resplendent Quetzal’s status and whereabouts in South America and Guatemala, which is mostly unknown.
“Research conducted [on] The Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) exhibits characteristics common to species prone to extinction, such as occurring at low densities, presenting strict ecological requirements, and inhabiting locations with high rates of degradation” (Reynaud, Javier Adolfo García).

Javier Adolfo García Reynaud and students from Universidad Pedagógica Nacional in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, conducted research from June 2019 to June 2020 on the presence of the Resplendent Quetzal in La Tigra National Park in Honduras. The distribution of the Resplendent Quetzal (a subspecies of quetzal) spans from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to Nicaragua (Reynaud, Javier Adolfo García).
Reynaud and his team's research acknowledge that the lack of “management of the southern quetzal habitat and the lack of key data for management decision-making in some regions of its northern distribution,” leave a gap in quetzal’s population data across Central America (Reynaud, Javier Adolfo García).

La Tigra served as the best location to research the elusive bird as the park had been declared a protected area since 1980 and contains “virgin and secondary growth cloud forests” (an environment that meets the quetzal’s needs). Reynaud asserts that the protection of the park had “...contributed to the stability observed in the species population between 1979 and 2020” (Reynaud, Javier Adolfo García).
His team concludes that the loss of habitat in Central America is parallel with a decrease in the Resplendent Quetzal population. “[D]eforestation is the major factor in habitat degradation, and ranges from 0.32 to 0.92% per year…it urges the adoption of practices aimed at conserving their vital needs. The genetic diversity of the Resplendent Quetzal…requires special conservation efforts with national and international agreements, particularly in the northern region, with notable environmental pressures and higher rates of forest loss” (Reynaud, Javier Adolfo García). ​

Compared with the information and data presented by the University of Michigan, it can be deduced that the loss of important land and ecology will decrease what is present in the Resplendent Quetzal population.

The loss of land in Central America isn’t a new story.

Alternatively, the environmental issues present in the region and Guatemala have been around for centuries. “The Spanish conquest of the Cuchumatanes Highlands (1524–1541 CE) led to dramatic land use changes adhering to colonial practices and values, which included the rearing of livestock, agriculture, timber extraction, mining, and the relocation of Indigenous populations to new settlements” (Harvey, W. J., Nogue, S., Stansell, N., Adolf, C., Long, P. R., & Willis, K.). Guatemala's ecology has changed since contact with Europeans, specifically the Spanish in the 16th century. Researchers from Oxford University, the University of Illinois University, and the University of Southampton, identified and tested the palynological evidence (i.e. fossil pollen, macroscopic and microscopic charcoal, dung fungal spores) of the Cuchumatanes Highlands to provide scientific proof of this change (Harvey, W. J., Nogue, S., Stansell, N., Adolf, C., Long, P. R., & Willis, K.).

Their research concludes that the “anthropogenic use of land was drastically altered to facilitate the rearing of livestock, agriculture, large scale timber extraction, mining and new settlement” (Harvey, W. J., Nogue, S., Stansell, N., Adolf, C., Long, P. R., & Willis, K.). Additionally, their research concluded the creation of churches entertained the introduction of such practices by the Spanish, the formation of the state, and “the ambition of individuals to attain and generate wealth” (Harvey, W. J., Nogue, S., Stansell, N., Adolf, C., Long, P. R., & Willis, K.) These findings are reflective of the social, political, cultural, and economic influence Europe had on Guatemala, which Indigenous communities have been affected the most.

“We [Indigenous] are the only authorities of our concerns” is what “Maya intellectual”, Antonio Pop Canal, declared in 1972, in response to Guatemala’s century-long elite occupation Kistler). Canal is a Maya “educator, former Catholic seminarian, lawyer, and spiritual guide,” ​who rose to recognition through his advocacy against the “Indian problem” of Guatemala (Kistler). His resistance against “Euro-centered modernity,” was vital to counter the centuries of suppression “that did not permit full Maya citizenship or identity mistreatment of the Maya community” (Kistler, S. Ashley).

Much of this suppression was conducted by the Catholic church, which was established by Spanish settlers, of which Canal was a part. The publication of his thoughts and experience with the church in his essay, “Réplica del indio ante una disertación ladina’ (The Indian’s response to a Ladino argument),” led to an uprising of Maya activists in Guatemala for reformation and dissolution of the Catholic influence in the country (Kistler, S. Ashley).

The marginalization of the Maya in Guatemala is linked to the institution of the Catholic church by Spanish colonizers. To create, operate, and maintain the churches, “large amounts of ecology and communities needed to be displaced.”

​To conclude, Guatemala’s reverence and romanticization of the quetzal bird reflect the country's original connection to their identity.

From Guatemala’s First Nation (the Maya), the beauty and resiliency of the quetzal bird became the embodiment of the country's spirit, one that ​is free and not chained down by ideologies or customs of a foreign culture.

By listening to indigenous voices and creating policies that protect them and the lands they inhabit, wildlife and non-Indigenous populations would be protected. This would secure national sovereignty for all people and promise to preserve the environment for future generations. Then, and only then, can the quetzal sing again.
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Work Cited
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Translated by Content Engine LLC. “The Quetzal Bird Symbol on the National Coat of Arms.” CE Noticias Financieras, English ed., ContentEngine LLC, a Florida limited liability company, 2023. (Historical/Social Context).

Harvey, W. J., Nogue, S., Stansell, N., Adolf, C., Long, P. R., & Willis, K. (2021). A palynological perspective on the impacts of European contact; historic deforestation, ranching and agriculture surrounding the Cuchumatanes Highlands, Guatemala. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 30(3), 395–408.
The Divinity of the Resplendent Quetzal.” The Divinity of the Resplendent Quetzal | Holbrook Travel, 22 Jan. 2014.

Kistler, S. Ashley, et al. “‘We Will No Longer Yield an Inch of Our Identity’: Antonio Pop Caal, 1941– 2002 / Abigail E. Adams.” Faces of Resistance, University of Alabama Press, 2018.

Platt, John R. “Resplendent Quetzal, Sacred Bird of Maya and Aztecs, Faces Extinction Risk.” Scientific American Blog Network, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2015.

Reynaud, Javier Adolfo García, et al. “Abundance of the Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus Mocinno (Trogoniformes, Trogonidae) in the Tourist Sector of a Cloud Forest Reserve.” Neotropical Biology and Conservation, Pensoft Publishers, 1 Dec. 2022.

Volunteers, Coordinator -. “The Guatemalan Symbol of Freedom: The Resplendent Quetzal.” Trama Textiles | Women’s Weaving Cooperative, 8 Apr. 2021.

“Palm Oil Plantations and Deforestation in Guatemala: Certifying Products as ‘sustainable’ Is No Panacea.” University of Michigan News, 20 July 2023.