Yucatán Celebrates Maya Culture with Music & Crafts

Tixhualactún, Yucatán — The voice and culture of the Maya people displayed their vitality and pride in their legacy during an afternoon of crafts, a textile fashion show, and traditional jarana and cumbia music, marking the conclusion of celebrations for the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples in the community of Tixhualactún, in the municipality of Valladolid.

The cultural event, titled "U múulmeyajtik maaya’ob u kaajal ichil u páajtalilo’o" and organized by the Secretary of Culture and the Arts (Sedeculta) in collaboration with the Tixhualactún Artisan Museum and the Valladolid City Council, became a gathering to recognize and value the traditions and knowledge of the indigenous people.

An example of this was the exhibition of backstrap loom weaving, a technique that Yucatecan women artisans are reviving in their communities as part of the Plan for the Safeguarding of Yucatecan Maya Embroidery, a project coordinated by Sedeculta and UNESCO.

The festivities began shortly after four in the afternoon with a fashion show in the town's main park, where models and artisans presented garments, jewelry, bags, and accessories made using cross-stitch, backstrap loom, chuy kap, and henequen fiber techniques.

Subsequently, attendees toured the Artisan Museum—located opposite the main park—guided by its president, José Gaspar Hau Coyok. He was accompanied by the head of Sedeculta, Patricia Martín Briceño; the mayor of Valladolid, Homero Novelo Burgos; and the local commissioner, Juan Carlos Cano Abán.

The event included a jewelry-making demonstration by artisan María Dominga Cen Camal, the screening of the documentary Binningula’sa: los antiguos zapotecas, and a musical performance by Didier Chan, who got the community dancing with his cumbia songs in the Maya language.

The closing acts were performed by the Sedeculta's Orquesta Jaranera del Mayab, directed by Maestro Carlos Uc Tepal, and the group Tuumben Nikte’ Ja’ from Tixhualactún, led by Maestra Estrella May Cano.

During the event, the head of Sedeculta emphasized that commemorating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples in this community is a demonstration that decentralizing culture means recognizing the talent of local artists, who are guardians of traditions and creativity.

"This event is also a celebration of the Maya Renaissance, which we see reflected in the voices, embroidery, music, languages, and new generations who are creating from their roots. A clear example of this is the Artisan Museum, built by and for the community," she stated.

Martín Briceño recalled that the State Government, led by Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena, reaffirms its commitment to the culture, identity, and strength of the Maya people in every corner of Yucatán. She assured that all cultural manifestations are part of Sedeculta's work and underscored the pride in accompanying Tixhualactún in this commemoration.

Also participating was Diana Ni-kan, a student from the University of British Columbia, Canada, who performed the song Okanagan, the institution's anthem, as part of a cultural exchange coordinated by Sedeculta's Directorate of Museums and Heritage.

Present at the event were the Director of Museums and Heritage, Dr. Fidencio Briceño Chel; the Director of Heritage, Elisa Chavarrea Chim; the Head of Community Museums, Patricia Valdez Uh; and the Technical Director of the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, Julián Dzul Nah.

Representatives from the Community Museums of Temozón and Maní, from the Universidad de Oriente, and Maestra Guadalupe Espinosa, director of the Chichén Itzá archaeological zone, also participated.

With this celebration in Tixhualactún, the activities that began a week earlier at the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya concluded. Those earlier events included an artisan bazaar, free guided tours, a demonstration and documentary on Pok ta’ pok, and a performance by the Orquesta Infantil y Juvenil de Jarana Mi lindo Tixméhuac.