From the early 20th century, in the social sciences and humanities, there has been an incessant preoccupation with attempts to solve the ‘indian problem’ in Guatemala. The so-called ‘problem’ is nowadays a “challenge facing societies and economies.” Literacy and a focus on language have been offered as answers, or rather as problem solvers of indian ‘backwardness.’ However, the terms and languages of ‘the answer’ have shifted. They have become more ‘scientific,’ more ‘cultural,’ less ‘secular,’ more political, human rights-oriented, and highly globe and ‘Western’ centered. The linguistic projects, as innovative as they may have been at the time of their emergence, retain the same aspiration within a logo- and phono-centric worldview that, in fact, limits creativity and innovation starting from the conception of ‘the problem’ itself and the logic of problem solving. This has implications for, and asks questions of, the adamant emphasis of education, and governments on alphabetical literacy and standardized testing in the Guatemalan and other contexts. This paper is based on four years of historical and ethnographic research in Guatemala. Analytically it draws from Derrida’s critique on logo-and phono-centrism and is inspired by Chakrabarty’s provincializing and decentering.