Mopan Maya Artists Represent Belize at CARIFESTA XV

Two Mopan Maya textile artists from San Antonio, Cayo, are representing Belize’s Indigenous heritage at the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA XV) in Barbados.

The Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) announced that Luciana Chun and Magdalena Chiac were chosen to showcase Belize’s Indigenous culture at the regional festival.

Their work reflects the ancestral textile art of Xok’bil Chuy, or “counted stitches,” a hand-sewn tradition passed down through generations. SATIIM stated, “Despite constant pressure for the Maya to assimilate and abandon their culture, the Xokb’il Chuy is a hand-sewn record of survival. Against all odds, Maya women have kept this tradition alive, one stitch at a time.”

The festival will also feature the documentary Xe’il – Threads of Culture, Tradition and Community, developed with support from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

SATIIM and Belize’s Maya brand Xe’il described the moment as “international recognition of the value of Belize Maya culture” at a time when the Mopan Maya risk losing their language and ancestral traditions.