A legendary life
Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Born January 9, 1959
K'iche' Maya activist and Nobel laureate who brought international attention to Indigenous rights and Guatemala's civil conflict.
Her story
A life that changed history
Rigoberta Menchú Tum grew up in a K'iche' Maya farming family and became involved in movements for workers' and Indigenous peoples' rights during Guatemala's civil war. After fleeing to Mexico, she became an international advocate against repression, racism, and cultural discrimination. She received the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize for her work advancing social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation.
“Let there be freedom for the Indians, wherever they may be in the American Continent or elsewhere in the world, because while they are alive, a glow of hope will be alive as well as a true concept of life.”
Nobel Peace Prize lecture, December 10, 1992