In the Arms of Inup
The extraordinary story of a Guatemalan survivor and his quest for healing from trauma
- Publisher
- HARP Publishing The People's Press
- Initial publish date
- Jul 2020
- Category
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780993829567
- Publish Date
- Jul 2020
- List Price
- $25.00
Add it to your shelf
Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 13 to 18
- Grade: 8 to 12
Description
Eve Mills Allen, a New Brunswick mental health therapist, has written the profoundly moving story of Jeremias, who at the age of 11 led his family to safety during the Guatemalan genocide against the Mayan peoples. Jeremias breaks the silence as he shares his memories with the author, and we learn how inadequate our mental health system is to fully heal those traumatized by war and genocide.
About the authors
Eve Mills Allen is a mental health therapist in Moncton, New Brunswick. She holds a MA in Creative Writing and MEd in Counselling Psychology and worked as a journalist for 30+ years. She taught Life Writing classes at the university and therapeutic writing workshops, mostly in First Nations communities. She is a member of the Moncton Writer’s group and NB Federation of Writers.
Excerpt: In the Arms of Inup: The extraordinary story of a Guatemalan survivor and his quest for healing from trauma (by (author) Eve Mills Allen; cover design or artwork by Jody Claus; photographs by Jeremias Tecu)
In the Beginning
Jeremias bows his head before the monument in Rabinal, tears coursing down his cheeks, as memories
slash through his brain. Here are the names of those who were senselessly slaughtered—his
relatives, his friends, his people. Although it has been 35 years since he escaped this massacre,
the pictures of that time turn steadily off and on as if someone were working a flashlight in the
night—vividly bright, then black. But nothing can extinguish the crying or the screams, and, even
in the dark, blood is still red.
Jeremias Tecu was only eleven when he became a man. The disappearance of his father and two older
brothers left him, as the oldest male in the family, no choice but to step quickly into the adult
role. The smell of acrid smoke winding its tentacles around decomposing flesh, and the sight of
scattered body parts, sealed this premature appointment and impelled him to step up and take
responsibility. To save his remaining family, Jeremias bravely directed his mother and younger
siblings, one only a month old, to hide in the roots of the huge Inup, a tree greatly feared by all
Mayan children.
Jeremias lived in La Ceiba near the small town of Rabinal, a Maya Achí village in Guatemala. He
loved his home and his family and, even though he worked very hard, the work was
something he enjoyed, something that made him feel connected to the earth around him and to his
family. The massacre began in his village in 1981, taking with it his carefree spirit. It was Inup
that saved his life, but it could in no way shelter his mind from the images that would become
seared on his brain for a lifetime.
Editorial Reviews
This book takes you into the heart of the healing process of storytelling between a compassionate
listener and a refugee survivor of horrific cruelty and injustice. The safe space created by
unconditional acceptance and positive regard informs us about how an empathic approach can respond
to the needs of trauma survivors.
Jeremias’ story points to the lack of culturally sensitive mental health services that recognize
the burden of carrying untold stories of trauma. A lack of compassionate social services for
survivors of atrocious injustices will only serve to send the survivors underground and reinforce
fear and shame. In order to support the successful integration of refugees into our Canadian
society, we must rise to the task of developing trauma-based and culturally sensitive mental health
services.
- Sandra deVink, retired social work professor at St. Thomas University (1985-2014)
