The 2021 Keynote presentation, “When Stones Speak: Decoding the Messages Embedded in Ancient Maya Monuments” with Dr. Jaime Awe, will illuminate the Maya culture for audiences at Ardrey Auditorium. “This year’s Festival provides a wonderful opportunity for me to share results of my long and ongoing research on Maya civilization, and on the significant information that is encoded in the monuments of the ancient Maya,” says Dr. Awe. Maya monuments hold important information on how this fascinating civilization viewed their universe, and how they interacted socially, politically, and ritually with their gods and peers.