Field School in Chiapas

At times, the expression of a fieldwork encounter can be encapsulated and told effectively in verse, especially when it has been an emotional experience. This poem is an outgrowth of a service learning field program in Chiapas, Mexico, and part of a longer collection concerning the ethics of doing anthropological research in a conflict zone. In this offering, the participants begin to contemplate the fact that their presence in the area might easily be misinterpreted and could be a liability for those they have come to “serve.”