THE UNITED NATIONS’ JOINT PROGRAMME CREATIVITY AND CULTURAL IDENTITY FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONDURAS In collaboration with the Auxiliary of Vara Alta, Intibucá Presents The First Meeting of Two Lenca Generations This is very important, because these are the teachings our ancestors left us. The idea is to share this knowledge with young people so that they can better get to know the historical knowledge of our parents and grandparents. The Lenca are an indigenous people that have inhabited the western mountains of Honduras since pre-Columbian times.
However, they are vulnerable to Western influences, and many of their communities no longer pass on their customs, rituals and traditions to the next generation. Over time, their language, which determines their culture has become almost extinct. Today the elders of the Auxiliary of Vara Alta, Intibucá, the highest Lenca authority, have convened a meeting of 15 communities to pass on the lessons handed down by their ancestors, and in doing so ensure the continued existence of their cultural identity.
We will drink this Chilate with cacao. This is a custom of the Lenca ancestors. We have come here as elders to teach young people who want to know about our old customs… NATIONAL ANTHEM OF HONDURAS IN THE LENCA LANGUAGE It was an initiative of the Municipality of Vara Alta, Intibucá.
The programme supported this initiative by providing logistical and technical support, and by valuing the Lenca’s decisions, and their spirituality and religion. During the event, they set up different learning areas, where youngsters were taught essential practices that reaffirm their culture. These are for the native music of our people, For example, the mandolin, violin and guitar are still played in our communities… [“inaudible speech”] garlic; in short, they are all our culture’s natural remedies.
They are given to expel bad things… . . .
of finely ground corn, it was cooked and turned. That was the famous panapa… . .
. to make Chilate you need this same white corn. That is what we are drinking now… As first regent, I must first invite my whole community to help establish the Milpa (plot of land for maize, beans and squash) .
. . give thanks.
These are the pegs and the holy ground. Here we place 9 candles. .
. There is cultural diversity in Honduras. It is very important to revive cultural practices that have been lost.
As long as we are increasing the visibility of cultural practices, we will also preserve them. We will also be promoting the cultural diversity that is so important for unity in these communities. In this context, an inter-generational meeting based on customs and traditions is extremely important for creating a context for intercultural and inter-generational dialogue.
And that is something that our youth is beginning to understand. And we want to keep doing this. That’s why we come to these events.
Our ancestors left us this example, it hadn’t been thought about for a long time but now we can see and live the experience. That’s really good It’s very good for our young people. Sometimes we as young people neglect some of our traditions for a more modern way of life.
We must save some of our ancestors’ culture; both generations must do this - adults and young people. Thank you heart of the heavens, heart of the land, Father God, Mother God… That is, Indigenous people and Afro-Hondurans have human rights. They also have specific rights related to their social conditions.
In other words, they have specific cultural rights based on their spirituality and language. In this regard the Joint Programme allows for the exercising of cultural rights and for participation in the cultural life of indigenous and Afro-Honduran people. We had never seen what we saw here at the lagoon before.
It’s good to revive our ancestors’ culture. Young people have been called upon to continue these traditions, rites, celebrations and meetings. I have learned to appreciate the Lenca culture, such as the traditional food and all that… I know that this will bear fruit, and it is a seed that is planted in fertile soil because we will put it into practice.
UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARTICLE 12. 1 Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practice, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains. ARTICLE 13.
1 Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons. We thank the Lenca communities of Intibucá and La Paz, Honduras for their collaboration in the making of this documentary.
