Chiapas Project Wins Its Appeal, Will Get Federal Aid for Work

The Harvard Chiapas Project--which for 10 years has studied Maya Indians in Mexico--has won an "appeal" with the federal government and will receive the necessary money to finance its 11th year.

The National Institute of Mental Health, a wing of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, had previously announced that it was cutting its sponsorship of all research projects, including Chiapas, that would take federal money outside of the country.

It had taken that step because of government concern over the U.S.'s worsening balance of payments.

Appeal

But the federal agency did leave former recipients free to appeal their specific projects, and Evon Z. Vogt, professor of Anthropology and director of the Chiapas Project, took that route.

Vogt released confirmation from the National Institute yesterday that Chiapas would receive the necessary money--$5150--to finance the foreign wing of its program. That will send 13 Harvard students to Mexico for the summer.

U.S. Flag Carriers

The letter announcing that Chiapas would receive its money stipulated that "U.S. flag carriers" be used for the summer group's travel to and from this country, as well as for any portions of its travel within the United States.

Vogt said yesterday in an interview that he was now in the process of filing a request for federal money to finance six more years of the Chiapas program beyond the coming one.

Officially, the National Institute of Mental Health will be providing the Chiapas money from two funds now--one for its work in the United States and the other for its work in Mexico. But Vogt said that together the funds will provide all the money he needs for this year's work.

Brought Into World

The Chiapas Project is a year-round program that includes summer field studies with Mexico's Maya Indians. These Indians "are being brought into the modern industrialized world for the first time," according to Vogt.

The 13 students who will travel to Mexico this summer under the Chiapas program are Carla P. Childs '70, Jonathan P. Hiatt '70, Abigail S. Natelson '68, John M. Miyamoto '69, Carolyn C. Pope '69, Jan Rus III '69, Charles F. Sabel '69, and Maxine M. Warshauer '70.

Also, Jane F. Collier, George A. Collier, Gary H. Gossen, Phyliss Kazen, and Francesco Pellizzi, all graduate students here.