05 The Xtá Ratsá dance
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Room 5
Xtá Ratsá belongs to a memory much older than the arrival of the Spanish.
Its roots are found in the peoples who historically inhabited these mountains, among them the ancient Yopes, whose knowledge remains alive in the memory of the Mè'phàà people.
The Xtá Ratsá dance
For generations, this dance has transmitted knowledge about agriculture, the rains, the cycles of nature, and the relationship between people and territory.
It also remembers those who defended these mountains, and the communities that continue organizing to protect their forests, their water, and their way of life.
The Xtá Ratsá dance
Its message remains present.
Just as skin changes in order to renew itself, peoples also change without ceasing to be who they are.
The Xtá Ratsá dance
That is why Xtá Ratsá does not belong to the past.
It continues to give meaning to the present and to accompany the community’s future.
Rehearsal of the Xtá Ratsá dance in Laguna Seca.
Just as skin transforms, peoples also renew themselves.
Collective movement during the Xtá Ratsá rehearsal.
The dance keeps the memory of the territory alive.
Children of Laguna Seca in headdresses during the Xtá Ratsá rehearsal.
Each generation gives life to Xtá Ratsá again.
The Xtá Ratsá dance
The memory of the Mè'phàà people does not remain in this virtual museum. It lives in the mountain, in the language, and in every community that continues to dance.