Mexico Indigenous Culture and Textiles

Religious Procession in San Pablito Pahuatlan, P...

Each year there is a religious procession in San Pablito, Pahuatlan. The virgin and saints images are carried through the streets picking up more and more participants as the procession passes the homes of the villagers.

Totonaca Dance of Joy

Prior to Christmas 2007 I was documenting the many Totonacan counties in the Sierra Norte of the State of Puebla. As I visited the municipal capital called Camocuatla, Puebla gave a ride to an elderly man who was walking up the steep hill that leads there. As we talk I explained my documentation project and he invited me to his town San Bernadino to participate in the Posada ceremony. I was brought to the home of the a family that was preparing tamales for the expected guests. They welcomed me...

Easter Week Ceremony - Cora Indians , Santa Tere...

The Cora live in the Sierra Nayar of the Mexican State of Nayarit. They have been isolated by poor communications and roads for many years. The customs of the Cora are strongly rooted in the cosmovision of thier ancestors with a slight influence of the Catholic Church. The three days of the festival are based loosly on the story of the cruxifiction of Christ, but are more directed at the well being of the village and the need for rain. Each day the men paint them selves in progrssivly differen...

Christmas festival in Zoatecpan, Xochitlan V.S.,...

The town festival on Christmas day consists masses, processions, traditional dances and a feast at the home of the Mayordomo ( sponsor).Mayordomia is an important part of Nahua culture and indigenous culture. A family sponsors the festival paying for many on the functions including the dancers, music, and the food to feed any one that shows up at there home. They keep the towns saint at their home for a year ( in most cases) I was staying in a near by village and decided to visit some people I...

Festival of San Mateo Tlacotepecer 12/ 13/ 2007,...

San Mateo is a small Totonacan village in the Municipality of Ahuacatlan, Puebla. The municipal government gave me a guide and we arrive just at the beginning of the festival. Among the things you will see in the video clip are traditional dancers, Matachines and Espanoles. The Espanoles have hand castanets giving the dance a wonderful sound. During the mass there were songs song in Totonacan. Part of the mass included a procession and blessing to the 4 cardinal points within a small alter bui...

Totonacan belt weaver from Caxhuacan, Puebla

The wide red belt with diamond, ladder, stork designs is a symbol of the traditional dress of the Totonacan women . This short video illustrates the weaving of one of these belts by the last belt weaver in Caxhuacan, Puebla, near the border with the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Totonacan Indian Festival Dec 8 , 2007 in Zongoz...

Otomi festival in Pie del Cerro , San Bartoolo T...

Tepehua Indian Carvial ( marti Gras) in Huehuetl...

The Tepehua Indians live in three states, Hidalgo, Puebla and Veracruz. The town of Huehuetla hidalgo is the subject of this video documenting many of the characters of the Carnival (matri gras) which is a celebration before the beginning of Lent. There is a social order among the dead (dancers), The Comanche , the Huehues, Diablos, Coludos, Tisnados . The festival takes place in two parts, what you see here is the second half of the festival which lasts three days culminating a fire dance.

Mexican indigenous women in traditional dress , ...

The Mexican Indigenous Textile Project documents the endangered indigenous textiles in Mexico. To date I have visited over 600 villages and documented 350 , the study can be seen at www.mexicantextiles.com