The ChortI, a small Mayan tribe, had been living isolated on the steep, eroded mountainsides of eastern Guatemala for centuries. As the country developed around them, they had become a downtrodden people. With overpopulation and no more land available, they had become a violent people. Fierce fighting often would break out between families to protect their meager resources. Droughts and crop failures were common, diseases and infant mortality were astronomical, and education was not available. Fear from the dark world shaped their culture and permeated their lives with stoicism and...