Kanan Miatsil the “Guardians of Culture”
© Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
Kanan Miatsil is located between Yo Creek and San Lazaro villages within the Pachamama Ecological Park in the Orange Walk District. It is a Non-profit Organisation led by Felicita Cantun, a retired teacher who spent forty years in the classroom. She is known in the area as the “Culture Warrior” for receiving numerous awards for her efforts throughout the years.
History of Kanan Miatsil
Kanan Miatsil was founded to prevent traditional Maya customs and values from disappearing. In a society filled with technology, hundreds of years of tradition can vanish quickly, when the younger generations are not engaged to see value in practising forms of traditional life and techniques. Contemporary Maya culture has roots going back thousands of years. Old ways of living in harmony with the environment are inherited and practised to this day. – All of which Kanan Miatsil and Felicita Cantun are working to safeguard and promote.
© Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
© Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
The local community saw the need to protect ancestral traditions, and to encourage younger generations to engage and participate so Maya heritage would not be swept away in an increasingly digital, fast-paced era.
Heritage as a Driving Force
Dancers from the Maya Naay Dance Group © Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
© Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
As Ms Felicita Cantun describes; for Kanan Miatsil, the word “heritage” is what unifies the community. Cohesion is essential, for, within the community, several groups are specialising in different cultural traditions such as dance or sports. Activities include dancing performed by Maya Naay (Mayan Dream) dancers, Pok ta Pok (Mesoamerican Ballgame) performed by Ek’ Balam (Black Jaguars) team, traditional cuisine prepared by Xmeyjil Ko’oleloob (Working Women), traditional games led by Juul K’iin (Sun Rays), tours at the Ts’aak Xiiw (Medicinal plants) botanical garden, arts , and craft, embroidery or cooking courses, and ceremonies.
Crafts made by members of Kanan Miatsil © Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
© Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
Kanan Miatsil and the community come together in appreciating and maintaining their customs, traditions, and values. These actions intertwine and connect each person around them, surrounding everyone with positive energy. The uniqueness and strength of knowing that they will be able to hand down their traditions and values to the future generation unite them even further, creating an unbreakable bond. As genuine as it is, it becomes of utmost importance to connect with the past, and this is precisely what Kanan Miastil does. Safeguarding activities and traditions that help embrace the feeling of being connected, it is a rich, unique, and special feeling.
The National Pok ta Pok Team (Mesoamerican Ballgame)
Felicita Cantun was featured in Bembe Vision, a magazine published by the Image Factory Art Foundation in Belize City on September 20th, 2018 as a “Culture Warrior”. Her many decades of hard work, tenacity, and grit came to international light in 2017. The Kanan Miatsil Pok Ta Pok Maya team represented Belize. They came back victorious from the Mesoamerican Ball Game Ulamaztli, Teotihuacan competition, held in the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico City.
© Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
Kanan Miatsil and Ms Felicita are working hard to engage young people in playing the ancient game, providing space for practice, equipment, and support. This initiative engages the younger generations in a modern way. It brings the team and enthusiasts closer to their ancestors while aligning with present needs and interests.
Players of the 2017 World Champion Ek Balam Pok ta Pok team from Yo Creek Village © Kanan Miatsil & Felicita Cantun
Inspiring Your Community and Belize
As Ms Felicita Cantun says, Kanan Miatsil and its activities provide a sense of identity for the community. The park is overflowing with culture and traditions. Visitors and the community can experience dancing, learn and enjoy traditional cooking, listen to folk stories, practice a new language (Maya T’aan), and engage with the world champion Pok Ta Pok team. Maya ceremonies and rituals are also performed. The different presentations and activities all form part of the local culture and allow visitors as well as the surrounding communities to participate and learn in an engaging and modern way. Kanan Miatsil is an excellent example of how heritage can be re-imagined and be a regular part of our lives while challenging the rapidly changing ways of living in modern society.
Contact:
You can follow the Kanan Miatsil Facebook Page and reach out via email to kananmiatsil@gmail.com or contact them at +501 660-8853, +501 605 3859 or +501 603 2307
To reach the Pachamama Ecological Park, travel from Orange Walk Town on the Yo Creek/San Lazaro road until you pass Yo Creek Village.
Written by: Romani Sanchez and Ella Békési