UNESCO Supports Totonac Women Teachers Through New Initiative

UNESCO, with financial support from Tala Mexico, has launched a capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening the economic sustainability of Totonac women teachers at the Centre for Indigenous Arts (CAI) in Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico. The initiative seeks to help teachers increase the income generated through the center’s House-Schools while supporting their efforts to safeguard Totonac living heritage.

The Xtaxkgakget Makgkaxtlawana, or Centre for Indigenous Arts, was established by the Totonac people as an educational institution for transmitting their knowledge, language, arts and cultural values. UNESCO selected the center in 2012 for its Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for intangible cultural heritage.

The CAI follows a House-School model, with different spaces dedicated to traditional practices including pottery, textiles, painting, traditional medicine, dance, music, theatre and cuisine. UNESCO describes the center’s approach as holistic, combining artistic practices with the transmission of Totonac values, language and cultural knowledge.

Key Highlights:

• UNESCO and Tala Mexico launch an initiative to support Totonac women teachers with business and financial skills
• Six CAI House-Schools will participate in the first phase, covering pottery, cuisine, tourism, painting, cotton and music
• The project aims to strengthen sustainable income generation while preserving Totonac cultural heritage

As part of the initiative, it will support the organization of women teachers and bearers of the Totonac heritage in the elaboration of organizational tools, financial planning and business strategies. The project aims at enhancing the capacity of the House-Schools to continue their cultural and educational programs as well as their capacity of sustainable income generation.

In the first phase, teachers from the six House-Schools: Traditional Totonac Pottery, Traditional Totonac Cuisine, Community Tourism, Painting, the World of Cotton and Music will take part. Participants will create road maps and short and long term businesses plans relating to community based tourism experiences.

The strategy is to distribute the CAI's income-generating activities throughout the year and to reduce the dependency on a few activities. It will also contribute to the continuity of culture in Papantla and its communities and among the artisans and traditional cooks.

UNESCO had previously documented that the CAI has a long history of promoting income generating schemes and self-management in its safeguarding approach. The center has been noted as a model for the use of cultural heritage in sustainable community development by the organization.

Moreover, the cooperation with Tala Mexico emphasizes the financial inclusion and technology aspects, centralizing these two pillars in the initiative. The project will be a showcase of how support from the financial sector can be linked to cultural preservation, and will contribute to the capacity development of Indigenous communities to sustain their cultural heritage and increase women's participation in cultural and economic activities.

The project also has a broader impact in Mexico for investing in responsible and community based tourism and putting cultural and natural heritage management into the hands of the community. The program is designed to leave with the Totonac women practical tools that will help them improve their businesses, and ensure their traditional knowledge is passed down.