By Magaly Muñoz,
Post Staff
On Monday, the Indigenous Peoples Day Festival was held for the fifth consecutive year at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. This event was organized in collaboration with the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) to celebrate and honor the traditions and heritage of Native Americans.
Art exhibits, music performances and vendor stalls were set up at the garden’s public park and cultural space on Monday afternoon with many people stopping by to purchase items or watch the cultural events.
Among the performers was a Mexican native group called Grupo de los Wawas del Centro Ceremonial de Tajín hailing from Veracruz, Mexico. The group belongs to the Totonaco Nation, which is primarily based in east-central Mexico.
Group leader Vidal Perez has been performing a traditional dance called “Danza de Voladores” and one called “Danza de Wawa” for over 30 years. This dance has been passed down through several generations of men in his family.
“We do this dance to celebrate Mother Earth, so that she brings rain, a plentiful harvest and good energy,” Perez said.
He said that they tour all over California, performing for a few weeks before heading back to Mexico to continue expressing their culture through dance. He pointed out that they come to events like this because it allows both Native American and Mexican groups to recognize and celebrate the resilience of communities that strive to preserve their cultural heritage despite enduring a long history of colonization.
“We want people to remember that there are still old customs and cultures to learn about. No matter where we live, the point is to acknowledge where we came from,” Perez said.
Cristina Ibarra, a Yerba Buena Gardens employee who is co-organizer for the event, said that this festival is her favorite one to put on each year. She said working with all the vendors and performers has been the…
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