September has started, and - even in COVID times - it's all about the celebrations of Belize's independence and a sense of patriotism for the country. But today, the Northern Maya Association of Belize decided to celebrate its cultural heritage with an event they called Maya Heroes Day 2021.
The Association is a not-for-profit NGO that tries to safeguard and promote the Mayan Culture in Belize.
So this morning, in celebration of all that cultural heritage, Northern Maya Association hosted a small ceremony in Orange Walk Town. With video provided by the organizers, here's what their president had to say about the preservation of Mayan cultural heritage in Belize's modern-day society:
Yahaira Vega - President of Northern Maya Association of Belize
"In our role within the Northern Mayan Association, it is imperative to have honest and brave conversations to honor and recognize the strides accomplished by our Yucatec Maya People. Today, therefore, we celebrate Maya Heroes Day with our now traditional, but most importantly, meaningful wreath-laying ceremony. 4 years go, the Northern Mayan Association took a bold step to advocate for the celebration and the observation of Maya Heroes Day. It was and is a step forward. The
inaccurate and whitewashed history that is taught in most schools contributes to the erasure of our Yucatec Mayan Heritage. We can do better by centering Mayan voices and stories all year, even with our youngest learners. This Maya Heroes Day, the Northern Maya Association of Belize commits to creating an informative video series that will help teach our children to make deep connections to the land, along with amplifying and learning about Maya heroes, artists, writers, and musicians. These short films will be made accessible to everyone, including educators, all year long, to promote healthy identity development that is critical to fostering resiliency, self-love, and emotional growth."
