Why Mikiztli? [Meeh-keesh-tleeh]
This year the Cultural Coalition, Inc. has changed the name of the annual Dia de los Muertos Festival to “Mikitztli” because of the blatant commercialization and cultural appropriation of El Dia de Los Muertos theme and its related imagery.
In order to better communicate and share this ancient indigenous cosmo-vision, we will decolonize the name of our festival to: Mikiztli – pronounced [meeh-keesh-tleeh] – which means ‘Transition’ and is symbolized as the “Calaca” or ‘the smiling skull’.
In the Nahuatl language, the name given to this celebration is actually Mihcailhuitl [meeh-kah-ell-ooueeh-tl] and translated means ‘the feast of the spirits.’
There is no mention of the dead or death in this celebration. We are here to Celebrate Life while remembering our beloved departed with songs, flowers, food and with the visual arts.
In Arizona, the Mikiztli or Calaca mask has become emblematic of
Cultural Coalition’s unique festival. It is the extensive use of the masks and processional sculptures that makes our cultural expression unique and unlike any other in the Southwest. Our goal is to celebrate and disseminate indigenous ancestral knowledge with respect and dignity. We wish to honor this profound legacy in order that it continue to be educational, culturally relevant and transcendent for our community. #LaCulturaCura
Cultural Coalition’s unique festival. It is the extensive use of the masks and processional sculptures that makes our cultural expression unique and unlike any other in the Southwest. Our goal is to celebrate and disseminate indigenous ancestral knowledge with respect and dignity. We wish to honor this profound legacy in order that it continue to be educational, culturally relevant and transcendent for our community. #LaCulturaCura