1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Danny and Samantha. I don't recome to Steph. 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: I never told you production of I Heart Radio. Uh, 3 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: and we are back. I don't know why I just 4 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: said the long Uh I knew we were starting to record. 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: That was really rude of me. Apologies, but anyway, and 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: we are here today for another segment of Women around 7 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: the World nonfiction edition. So, any how old are you? 8 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: I'm getting depression. I am a thirty two English standard 9 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: years old. Nice and actually very clarification because the Korea 10 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: is a different age range. So anyway with that, did 11 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: you I think that your life would be different where 12 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: you are today ten years ago? Did you think you 13 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: would be here ten years ago? Yeah, so twenty two. No, 14 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: I thought I was planning on moving to China at 15 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: that time, and I definitely I know we've talked about 16 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: it before. I think I still was in the mindset 17 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: that by twenty eight I would be married or on 18 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: my way to getting married, and like thinking about children. 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: I'm not sure at the time. I guess I knew 20 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: what a podcast was, but if I did, it was 21 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: a very vague understanding of what it was. So no, 22 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: I am not where at all as a single woman 23 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: in her closet, no prospects of marriage or children on 24 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: the horizon, which is fine, recording a podcast in her closet. 25 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: I love that it also includes that you are in 26 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: your closet. Yeah, for this conversation well today, not to 27 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: not to put any shame on you, because I'm there 28 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: with you. Of course, I'm forty years old, and this 29 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: is not where I thought would be. Granted, ten years ago, 30 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: I was unemployed and said that had just turned thirty 31 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: and I had no job. At that point, I was 32 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: living at her friends and it just seemed all bad. 33 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: So I feel like I've come a long way since then. 34 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: So I feel very grateful and where I am and 35 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: being able to be where I am. But today we're 36 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: actually talking about a woman who, by the time of 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: your age, she was coming on to getting her Nobel 38 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: Peace Prize. How does that make you feel? It makes 39 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: me feel both very inadequate but also very proud. Right damn, 40 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: get it right? I mean, And that's exactly what it is, 41 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: because it was was nineteen two, and at that time 42 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: she was one of the youngest to receive the Nobel 43 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: Peace Prize, as well as the first Indigenous woman to 44 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: receive it as well. So there are so many things 45 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: that we could say about Today. We were talking about 46 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: No l Peace Prize winner Rigoberta min Chew tomb and 47 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: we'll be calling her Minchew because that's kind of what 48 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: she's known throughout what I've been reading about her. But 49 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: she was actually born in chamel Of village in the 50 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: northwest region of Guatemala and was part of the indigenous 51 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: group from the Kiche Mayans and only spoke the language 52 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: of Kiche until she was nineteen years old. When she 53 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: was young, Minshew and her family, like many of the 54 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: people of the indigenous community, would work on the large 55 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: southern coastal farms, where she would, at the age of thirteen, 56 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: work as a maid. Two of her brothers died while 57 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: working on these farms, one from being poisoned by the 58 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: insecticides and the other due to malnutrition. She stated that 59 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: while working on these farms, she experienced discrimination from the 60 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: wealthy families was even treated worse than the family dogs right. 61 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: She and her family were active in social reforms, so 62 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: the Catholic charge. She became a really strong advocate for 63 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: the women's rights movement, which she started to take part 64 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: in as a teenager so an activist through and through 65 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: and was doing her teens. Her family was accused of 66 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: taking part in guerilla activities and her father was later 67 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: in president and tortured, and after his release he joined 68 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: the Committee of the Peasant Union or the c u C, 69 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: which she also later joined. And soon after her father, brother, 70 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: and mother were tortured and killed, she actually continued to 71 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: work with the c u SEE, teaching herself Spanish and 72 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 1: other mind languages to continue in the movement for the 73 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: rights of her people, and soon after her family's death, 74 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: men who actually fled to Mexico in nineteen eighty one 75 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: because of the persecutions that were happening and uh in Mexico, 76 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: she worked with international movements to bring awareness and to 77 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: stop the brutality against the indigenous people of Guatemala. She 78 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: became a public figure for the movement with her public 79 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: speaking engagements and her efforts in organizing. She soon published 80 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: her story and I Rigoberta Menshu, which tells her own 81 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: story from childhood and the stories of her mother and 82 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: brother's murders. The book was translated in several languages and 83 00:04:55,240 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: garnered international attention. It begins my name is Rigoberta mention you. 84 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: I am twenty three years old. This is my testimony. 85 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: I didn't learn it from a book, and I didn't 86 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: learn it alone. I'd like to stress that it's not 87 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: only my life, it's also the testimony of my people. 88 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: The important thing is that what has happened to me 89 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: has happened to many other people. To my story is 90 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: the story of all poor Guatemalans. My personal experience is 91 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: the reality of a whole people. She actually returned to 92 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: Guatemala on several occasions to fight for the rights of 93 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: the indigenous communities, but continue to receive death threats and 94 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: was even jailed at one time, and it was during 95 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: her ninety nine two trip that she learned of her 96 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: Noble Peace Prize win for her worth for the indigenous people. 97 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: She used her prize money to start the Regubert demn 98 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: Chew Tomb Foundation, which is an Indian advocacy organization, and 99 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: according to her explanation, her story has been allowed to 100 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: have some inaccuracies, including her recount of what happened during 101 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: her lifetime, but she continues to earn praise deservedly so 102 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: for her work and continuous fight for equal rights and justice. 103 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: In two thousand and four, President Oscar Burger asked her 104 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: to help implement the country's peace accords in Gudbala, and 105 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: in two thousand seven she created the Indian led political 106 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: movement when Knock Um, I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly, 107 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: which in my means the wholeness of the human being, 108 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: and ran for president but was unsuccessful. In two thousands six, 109 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: ment you became one of the founders of the Nobel 110 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: Women's Initiative with Nobel Peace Prize Lauria's Jody Williams, when 111 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: Gary Matthai, Betty Williams, A showing Ebodhi and ma Raid 112 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: Corrigan McGuire, and they came together to help straight the 113 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: women's rights around the world by uniting their efforts through 114 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: their own experiences in fighting for peace, justice and equality. Man, 115 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: what a powerful organization right there, I know. And of 116 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: course the Nobel Peace Prize wasn't her only accolade. She 117 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 1: also has been awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award, 118 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: Principles Stories Prize, Order of the Aztec Eagle, and splind 119 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 1: Love Prize. For I don't know why, but for a 120 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: second my brain stuttered and I thought it was spined 121 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: Love Pizza and I got really excited. It's like it anyway. Yeah, 122 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: So she has actually been appointed as UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador 123 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: for the activism for the rights of Indigenous People. She 124 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: acted as a spokesperson for the first International Decade of 125 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: the World's Indigenous Peoples, which was four To say that 126 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: she has made some impact as an understatement the fact 127 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: that she actually wanted to be in part of the 128 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: politics to help make change, to be the president, that 129 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: is some high aiming. And again there has been some 130 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: controversy about the accuracy of her story, but she didn't 131 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: necessarily write, but it was written for her. She was 132 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: a part of that publication. That there was whether or 133 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: not that she should be discredited as if some of 134 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: her stories were completely wrong. But the fact of the 135 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: matter is it's not so far from history, especially during 136 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: the civil war in guadam Mama, that these things have 137 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: been happening, and it's not too far outraged to see 138 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: that many of the indigenous people around the world have 139 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: been mistreated a lot and still have not been given 140 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: reparations nor the justices that they deserve in any capacity. 141 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: So I think it's a lot to see that she 142 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: has been through so many things and trying to advocate 143 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: for her community, for her people. The fact that she 144 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: didn't speak Spanish until nineteen and she saw that as 145 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: a part of way of communicating to be an activist 146 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: is huge and I could not imagine the toll of 147 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: watching her family die and going through all of these 148 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: tragedies to being here to become a leader and to 149 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: make these powerful statements as an Indigenous woman. So much 150 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: tragedy and hardship, but also so many amazing inspiring things. 151 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: This is often the case with the way we talked 152 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: about on this segment. So yeah, as always, listeners, we 153 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed this and we hope that if there 154 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: are women you think we should be talking about around 155 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: the world, please send them to us. Please. You can 156 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: email us at Steffieia mom Stuff at iHeart VideA dot com. 157 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: You can also find us on Twitter at mom Stuff 158 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: podcast or on Instagram at stuff I Never Told You. 159 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to super producer Christina, also a woman. 160 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: Oh yes, and thanks to you for listening Stuff I 161 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: Never Told You, the production of iHeart Radio. For more 162 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the I Heeart Radio, app, 163 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.