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Here are some of the traditional Mayan Homes in Chicxulub Pueblo that we intend to rescue and maintain with your assistance. And of course, we are not asking for a direct handout. We offer gifts as a thank you for your generosity, from a copy of our travel language guide sent to your house, to an all-inclusive stay at Casa de Toj2 for donors who want to sponsor the complete conservation of a traditional roof for a Mayan family.

These are some of the traditional Mayan homes in Chicxulub Pueblo that still remain after the devastation caused by two major hurricanes, Gilbert and Isadora that dropped-in on the pueblo. Of the hundreds of traditional homes that once existed here in Chicxulub Pueblo, there only remains the remnants of less than 20. With governmental support, homes that had lost their roofs to the storms’ destruction were rebuilt using vigas, blocks, and cement, giving the people a roof over their heads, but ushered one step closer to assimilation, and losing a symbol of the existence of the Mayan Culture. And not only lost is the traditional homes a visual representation of the Mayan People, but also a secure setting for practicing the traditions that occur beneath these roofs.

We can only complete our mission to rescue the few remaining traditional homes for the Mayan elders of our village with the generosity of others, whether it be the kindness of neighbors allowing us access to cut palm leaves on their property, the contribution of labor by our international volunteers, and the economic support from people who feel it in their hearts to support the movement. If you would like to contribute to the cause as a volunteer, please visit our WORKAWAY.COM site. And if you would like to adopt a traditional Mayan home, please contact Don Hector de Chicxulub for more information.

Upon a natural conclusion of a career as a Second Language Spanish Teacher, my mission in life now concerns the preservation of a language at-risk of extinction. For the past fifteen years I have been a contributing member of a small village in Yucatan, Mexico, learning the traditions and participating in the daily life of the Yucatec Maya. And as a formally trained Anthropologist (B.A. University of Oregon, 1999) and Second Language Instructor (M.A. Pacific University, 2001), my academic background in Culture, Second Language Instruction, and Linguistics (New Mexico State University, 2016), along with my 20 years of experience as a Spanish Teacher, has manifested a language instruction and travel guidebook for accessing the Mayan Pueblos of the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes over 500 digital recordings of native speakers!
And due to residing in Chicxulub Pueblo for about 15 years now, I have acquired a traditional Mayan house in our village near Mérida, Yucatan in Mexico, the modern capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, and the knowledge to maintain it as an aprentice to a Mayan Shaman. Under his guidance, we completely restored the structure and utilize it as a language school and cultural conservatory. And because these hand-constructed homes are disappearing right before our eyes, along with the language that fades with time right alongside, we decided to rescue and maintain the other remaining traditional mayan homes in our village.

But because my Mayan brother Triste has since passed away, I am looking for help of all kinds, including restoration work of Mayan homes, as well as landscaping and property cleanup. Teachers are also encouraged to contact me as we love to give hands-on workshops taught in English or Spanish as a type of community service for local citizens. We are also looking for academic assistance to continue ongoing sociolinguistic research of bilingual speakers in bilingual communities, where Spanish is the dominant language that is being superimposed over the language of the original inhabitants. In all actuality, we are investigating “why” the language of the Maya People has endured 500 years despite intense colonization and overwhelming modernization; and how to use this information can be used to preserve what is left of the languages and traditions of the Original People of the Americas.

Casa de Toj2 is located in the peaceful village of Chicxulub Pueblo, Mexico and is best enjoyed as a retreat from the hustle-and-bustle of the Capital City of Merida in the State of Yucatan, and a departure from the typical tourist zones (though they are all nearby and easily accessible by bus and/or taxi). As any typical village of the Yucatan, the people here are very friendly and primarily speak Spanish. However, many locals are bilingual, speaking both Spanish and Yucatec Maya. At Casa de Toj2, we speak English and Spanish, and offer language instruction for learning to speak and understand Yucatec Maya.
At Casa de Toj2, we are focused on conserving and sharing the Mayan Traditions of the region with visitors who are looking for a more profound cultural experience. Though we offer all the comforts of a standard hotel stay, including wi-fi, comfortable beds, air conditioning, hot water, and a game room with a pool table; we also live a very rustic experience from the vantage point of our hammocks overlooking the tranquility of our pueblo existence.
I also offer guide service and all-inclusive stays for guests who would prefer to enjoy an unobstructed view of the culture. If interested, please contact me for more information.
Saludos,

Chris Eidemiller,
Aka: Maestro Don Héctor de Chicxulub Pueblo
B.A. Anthropology; M.A. Teaching; M.A. Spanish Linguistics
Omniglot: English; Spanish; Yucatec Maya