Papantla, the ancestral homeland of the Totonac people, is located between the Cazones and Tecolutla rivers in Veracruz State, Mexico, and lies close to the archaeological site of El Tajín. The Totonac are bearers of a rich living heritage, conveyed through the active use of their Indigenous language and expressed in various forms of craftmaking, rituals, and ceremonies. In 2006, Totonac elders and organizations expressed concern about losing their traditions, as there was no existing public model for training and teaching Totonac heritage expressions, nor any recognition of their Indigenous creative production in mainstream education. In response, the Center for Indigenous Arts (CAI) was created. Reflecting the structure of a traditional Totonac settlement, the CAI is composed of specialized schoolhouses where apprentices are trained in different art forms. More than an educational institution, the CAI is a ‘common home’ for the Totonac, where they can implement their own governance structures and representative bodies.
© Pumakgpuntumintakatsín, Casa de Medios de Comunicación y Difusión, 2023
What was the need?
Until 50 years ago, Totonac arts, trades, and traditional knowledge were passed down informally within households and families. However, social and cultural shifts, coupled with the decline in interest and support for teaching Indigenous practices, have weakened the vitality of the many expressions of the Totonac’s living heritage. An initial needs assessment was conducted in 2006, when Totonac elders voiced concerns about losing their cultural traditions, as there was no existing public model for training and teaching their creative traditions, nor any recognition of Indigenous creative production in mainstream education in Veracruz.
’Today, after eleven years of work, of research and reflection on reappropriation and decolonization, we have been able to strengthen what was at risk or threatened. The work is not finished, because the further we go to regenerate and revitalize the culture, the more elements we find that require work and attention… However, there is a lot of progress and results. Today, grandmothers, young people, boys, girls, adolescents and adults wear the Totonac identity with pride, not like before when we felt ashamed and denied being Totonac. Today, we are more aware, we have greater respect and greater appreciation for what our Totonac heritage represents.’
Director of the Center for Indigenous Arts
© Pumakgpuntumintakatsín, Casa de Medios de Comunicación y Difusión, 2023
What approaches were implemented?
The Centre for Indigenous Arts (CAI), or Xtaxkgakget Makgkaxtlawana (‘the splendour of the artist’) in the Totonac language, was created in 2006 as a civil society organization at the initiative of and following consultations with several Totonac organizations, such as the Supreme Totonac Council, the Council of the Elders, the Ritual Council of Voladores and other bodies representing traditional healers and potters, embroiderers, traditional cooks, as well as several artists.
Reflecting the structure of a traditional settlement, the CAI is comprised of specialized schoolhouses where apprentices are trained in different Totonac arts, such as wood carving, furniture and toy making, cotton planting and harvest, textiles, traditional healing, pottery, music, theatre, cuisine, media and radio, and more. Apprentices are encouraged to experiment with new materials and explore innovative aesthetic expressions.
Rooted in the Totonac cosmovision, the CAI model views learning as preparation for life and life in the community. Apprentices also receive guidance on the meanings of creative practices linked to spirituality at the house of wise grandmothers and grandfathers (named ‘Kantillán’), where the core values, philosophy and wisdom of Totonac culture are transmitted.
‘Xtaxkgakget Makgkaxtlawana: the Centre for Indigenous Arts and its contribution to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of the Totonac people of Veracruz, Mexico’ was selected for the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices in 2012.
‘Sharing this tradition requires the collective effort of many. It is sustained by everyone’s dedication. We embrace, nurture and ensure the well-being of our ancestral practice. It’s a responsibility shared by our community.’
Representative from Veracruz to the Council of Voladores - featured in the book ‘Celebrating the living heritage of Indigenous Peoples’
© Consejo para la Protección y Preservación de la Ceremonia Ritual de Voladores A. C. 2022
How did it work?
The establishment of the CAI fostered dialogue among Indigenous customary bodies, strengthening Totonac organizational systems and governance.
Together with the Ritual Council of Voladores, the CAI supports the safeguarding plan for the Ritual Ceremony of the Voladores, inscribed on the Representative List, and nurtures the next generation of voladores through its training school (Escuela de Niños Voladores).
Through its vocational approach, the CAI guarantees that knowledge is transmitted in practice, aligned with Indigenous values and traditions, while also embracing innovation. It addresses a critical historical gap by promoting Totonac cultural traditions and ensuring their continuity through the professionalization of Indigenous artists.
In addition to support from the Government of the State of Veracruz, the Center’s financial sustainability is now ensured through the production and sale of books, videos, and crafts, as well as the organization of tourist performances and festivals such as the Cumbre Tajín Festival.
© Chloe Campero, Cumbre Tajin, 2007
How was the community involved?
The creation of CAI is a community-driven initiative involving traditional teachers, cultural promoters, and Indigenous organizations. It identified key cultural practices and threats, guiding the development of curricula and the structure of its schoolhouses. Rooted in Totonac governance and collective decision-making, the CAI empowers Totonac teachers and leaders to lead its programmes, ensuring cultural practices are safeguarded by actual practitioners. This approach enables the transmission of traditional knowledge while giving Indigenous Peoples a central role in shaping their cultural and educational futures, promoting self-determination and supporting customary social organization. The CAI also promotes gender equality, working with women and involving them in governance bodies; today, women sit on the Supreme Totonac Council and participate in the flying ritual.
Contacts for sharing experience
Center for Indigenous Arts
Carretera Poza Rica – San Andrés, Km. 17.5, Municipio de Papantla de Olarte, Veracruz, México. C.P. 93479
Languages for contact: Totonac and Spanish
52 (782) 8217089; 52 (782) 8217090 and 52 (782) 8217088
centroartesindigenas@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/CentrodelasArtesIndigenas/
To learn more
- Videos about this experience
- Book ‘Celebrating the living heritage of Indigenous Peoples’
Download book: English