Rigoberta Menchú
Born in 1959
Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a K'iche' Mayan woman from Guatemala, born in 1959.
She gained international recognition for her advocacy of indigenous rights and her efforts to publicize the suffering of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the country's civil war.
Menchú received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and the Prince of Asturias Award in 1998.
She is the subject of the biography "I, Rigoberta Menchú" and author of "Crossing Borders." As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Menchú continues her activism and has ventured into Guatemalan politics, running for president in 2007 and 2011.
