The Maya culture is fascinating and mysterious, and a topic that, nationally and internationally, has attracted a lot of attention over recent years.For this reason, it is not surprising that there are many festivals promoting various aspects of Maya culture. But…where are the real Maya? We know their traditions, but do we really include them?
With the purpose of actually listening to the voices of today’s Maya people, by their own efforts, to regain their own spaces, the collective Yóol Káaj (“the spirit of the people”) recently made public the activities which will be included in the second edition of the Festival Maya Independiente “Cha’anil Kaaj” (Festival of the People) which will take place from October 11-25, 2014.
This initiative was born a year ago, over social media networks, due to the discontent caused by the commercialization and excessive use of “folksy” expressions of the Maya culture for touristic purposes; without actually including today’s Maya, their descendents, nor their own feelings, in the organization of these activities.
So the second edition of “Cha’anil Kaaj” will come to life, presenting bilingual activities (Maya and Spanish) including exhibits, forums, conferences, vaquerías (regional dances), concerts, artistic-cultural days, workshops and courses, book presentations, and more. These events will take place here in the Yucatán peninsula as well as in the city of San Francisco, USA.
Some of the locations for the event are: the central plaza of the town of Dzununcán (Yucatán), for the inauguration on October 11, San Francisco, California (USA), Xpujil, Calakmul (Campeche), Universidad Intercultural Maya of Quintana Roo, Tihosuco (Quintana Roo); Acanceh, Centro Cultural Siglo XXI in Oxkutzcab, Chumayel, Santa Elena, Tzucacacab, Kinil, Tixméhuac, Halachó, archaeological sites of Dzibilchaltún and Uxmal, in Yucatán; and specific locations in the city of Mérida: Pasaje de la Revolución with its “2000 años de Literatura Maya” (200 years of Maya literature), the meeting room of the Unidad de Ciencias Sociales (social sciences campus) CIR-UADY, CEPHCIS-UNAM, Centro Cultural Olimpo, main plaza of Mérida, auditorium at CIESAS, Centro Universitario Felipe Carrillo Puerto, among others. The closing ceremonies will take place at the main plaza of Mérida, at 7 pm on October 25.
More information: [email protected]
www. chaanilkaaj.org
https://www.facebook.com/fiestadelpueblo
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