Chinelos & Huehuenches

      "Spirit of Life,
      Transcending Mystery and Wonder,
      Ground of Our Being,
      That-Which-Proceeds-All-Naming,
      Be present with us now as we contemplate
      How best to bring healing and justice to the world
      And inspire us with a vision borne of compassion,
      Where the bounty of the Earth is revered,
      Where no one goes hungry or unhoused,
      Where the weak are protected and the innocent are safeguarded,
      And where the riches of creation are shared.
      May all souls find their true purpose and become whole,
      allowing who we are to inform what we do.
      May we come to learn that it is often through our darkest nights
      That we discover the glimmers of light that will guide our days.
      May our suffering allow us to become wounded healers
      With the gift of empathy to sustain our acts of compassion.
      When we bear witness to social injustices and that which should not exist,
      Let us find the courage to publicly speak our truth to those in power
      Demanding changes in institutions and practices that inflict harm upon our neighbors. [...]  Wayne Martin Mellinger "

This series of photographs narrates the first parade of Chinelos and Huehuenches in the Plaza de la Constitución, Mexico City. The prohibition of this dance originated in the 16th century as a mockery, critique, and satire of European carnivals and the colonizing people. After the ban, the dancers migrated to the outskirts of the city, to their native towns. The 'guegenchis' or dance of the masks was presented as an act of resistance against labor exploitation and land dispossession. The word 'huehuenche' comes from Nahuatl and means 'old man', while 'chinelo' derives from 'tzineloua', referring to the hip movement that characterizes their dance. The typical costumes from Tlayacapan, Yautepec, and Tepoztlán paraded down Avenida 20 de Noviembre with their peculiar wax masks, colored eyes, rosy cheeks, and pointed beards, imitating the face of Maximilian of Habsburg. A historical debt was symbolically repaid by allowing the native peoples to once again dance and express themselves through dance and masks in the Zócalo of Mexico City.

Esta serie de fotografías narra el primer desfile de Chinelos y Huehuenches en la Plaza de la Constitución, Ciudad de México. La prohibición de esta danza originó en el siglo XVI como una burla, crítica y sátira a los carnavales europeos y hacia el pueblo colonizador. Después del veto, los danzantes migraron a las periferias de la ciudad, a sus pueblos originarios. El 'guegenchis' o baile de las máscaras se presentaba como una muestra de resistencia contra la explotación laboral y el despojo de tierras. La palabra 'huehuenche' proviene del náhuatl y significa 'viejito', mientras que 'chinelo' deriva de 'tzineloua', que alude al movimiento de cadera que caracteriza su baile. Los trajes típicos de Tlayacapan, Yautepec y Tepoztlán desfilaron por la Avenida 20 de Noviembre con sus peculiares máscaras de cera, ojos de color, mejillas rosadas y barba picuda, imitando el rostro de Maximiliano de Habsburgo. Se subsanó simbólicamete una deuda histórica de que los pueblos originarios pudieran volver a bailar y expresarse a través de la danza y las máscaras en el Zócalo de la Ciudad de México.
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