Nocuchich (Nuukuch Ich) Tower. A human rights-based approach proposal to restoration in Mayan architecture

Abstract

This article outlines a proposal concerning the intervention and restoration of a Mayan monument, the Nuukuch
Ich tower, from a participatory, community-based and Indigenous Peoples’ rights-based approach. Because of
its distinctive architectural features, the Nuukuch Ich tower represents an emblematic case in the entire Maya
region. Over the past two centuries, this monument has seized the attention of travelers, explorers, and the
international scientific community. Despite its historical and artistic value, the archaeological site where the
tower is located is dramatically being destroyed by the industrialized cultivation of transgenic crops. It is therefore
urgent and necessary to take concrete actions for its conservation and safeguarding. This proposal is an initiative
promoted by Mayan communities and organizations, and promotes the use of decolonizing methodologies. At
the same time, it proposes a paradigmatic shift in Indigenous heritage research, which implies the necessary
obtaining of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent.