As a Peace Corps volunteer I often leave the house
without much of a plan other than to come back when it’s dark or I’m hungry. On
one fateful day my work partner approached me with the idea of taking a group
of 9 youth to a campsite in the middle of the woods to learn how to walk on
stilts. “That sounds amazing!” I said without any idea of the deep historical
meaning of the Chitick Dance. It wasn’t until days later that I even learned it
was an ancient Mayan tradition.
Believe it or
not, walking on stilts is an ancient Maya tradition! Lost to Belize for
generations, this beautiful art form has been resurrected thanks to the
determination of a humble Peace Corps volunteer, a team of instructors from
Belize/Guatemala, and a troupe of courageous kids.
The Stilt Dance, known locally as the Chitick Dance,
originated in the Mayan creation book called the Popol Vuh. The Popol Vuh is
the oldest Maya myth to have been preserved in its entirety. The Stilt Dance
was performed by the hero twins of the Popol Vuh called Hunahpu and Xbalanque
in a plot to defeat the Lords of the Underworld or Xibalba (the x is pronounced
“sh”) The Lords of Xibalba planned to
destroy the twins by tricking them into an oven to burn to their deaths. The
twins discovered the plot and surprisingly allowed themselves to be killed. Their
bones were ground into dust and thrown into a river where they miraculously
regenerated into back into a pair of young boys again.
Unrecognizable by the people of the Underworld; the twins
performed a number of miracles and performances, including the stilt dance.
When the Lords of Xibalba heard of these miracles they demanded to see such marvels
in person. The hero twins took the offer
as a part of their plot to ruin the Underworld. They pretended to be orphans
and the Lords were none the wiser. In a climactic performance, Xbalanque cut
Hunahpu apart and offered him as a sacrifice, only to have the older brother
rise once again from the dead. The Lords demanded that the miracle be performed
on them. The twins obliged by killing and offering the Lords as a sacrifice,
but predictably did not bring them back from the dead. All of Xibalba was then
defeated.
To reenact such a dramatic piece of cultural heritage is a
great honor. At Tumul K’in students take pride and ownership of a culture,
language, and spirituality that is at risk of being lost to an increasingly
globalized world. To bring the Chitick Dance back to Toledo is symbolic of the
cultural restoration and preservation that is central to Tumul K’in’s mission.
The students and I raised money to take a bus to Succotz
for a 4 day stilt walking and cultural exchange gathering with the Caracol
Youth Group from Arenal village. Fascinatingly, Arenal is a small village
located exactly half in Belize and half in Guatemala. In four quick days we
learned everything from stilt construction to costume design and makeup. What
surprised me most was the courage of the youth as they stood on the stilts for
the first time. Girls, who are traditionally shy and reluctant, were standing
as tall and as proud as the boys.
Arriving back at Tumul K’in, we only had a few short
weeks to construct 6 pairs of stilts, design and sew 6 costumes, and
choreograph a full dance to present at Maya Day. Miraculously we pulled it all
together in time to present a show stopping finale at Maya Day in Blue Creek
Village, home of the Stilt Walkers. As I watched the kids perform the story of
the Popul Vuh, in full body makeup and costume, on stilts, to a crowd of over a
thousand people, my heart beamed with joy. Since that first performance the
Tumul K’in Stilt Walkers have gone on to win a first place trophy at The
Festival of Arts and are now headed to Belize City for the final round of the
competition.
As we walked back to the staging area after a show I
asked one of the female performers how she felt. With a radiating smile she declared
“PROUD!” with more confidence and poise than I ever thought was possible. To
these kids, stilt walking is more than just a fun thing to do once in a while.
It’s about reclaiming a piece of their cultural heritage, men and women walking
on the same level, confidence, grace, and responsibility. It’s about teamwork
and confronting fears.
I’m so honored to be a part of this extraordinary time in
history. Organizing fundraisers, staying up late to sew ornate headdresses, and
corralling a bunch of hyper teenagers into a choreographed representation of
the Popol Vuh are all things I’ve come to accept as a part of my ordinary life
in the village. However, I know that I am a part of a piece of Mayan history
and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
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