Yellow Bird Dancers

Recently the organization was visited here in Guatemala by a small group of Native American dancers known as the Yellow Bird Dancers. Invited and paid for by the United States Embassy to promote intercultural exchange, the dancers participated in three unique meetings and performances here in Santa Cruz Del Quiché. The first meeting we attended was very surreal as it was set in the local Mayan ruins on the outskirts of town, a place where Mayan ceremonies are commonly practiced today. The Native Americans were joined by spiritual guides from the Mayan community and together the to groups participated in a traditional Mayan ceremony. Afterward the ceremony, which included the burning of special candles and herbs, various groups of local Guatemalans performed dances and music typical of the area as a display for the Americans. Afterwards, the Native Americans preformed a variety of dances and song (both vocal and with a flute). The favorite of the crowd by far was the hoop dance which consisted of a dance performed with about 12 small hoops and one extraordinary dancer. This meeting of two indigenous communities was a privilege to attend and we believe everyone agreed that it was a very spiritual and inter-connected meeting of minds and culture.