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Valle del Maíz is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

Most of its population are of Chichimeca or Otomí heritage, and during this festival held on the last weekend of May, people honor the Santa Cruz with a blend of Catholic and pre-Hispanic traditions such as indigenous dances and rituals and a blessing to the four winds, part of the Chichimeca culture that endured despite Spanish domination. “The Spaniards brought the Catholic religion, which was unknown to us; we adopted all their rituals, but we also retained our original pre-conquest ceremonies, and during this festival we have an opportunity to celebrate them,” said Don Polo.

The main object of the festival is to give thanks for all the blessings received during the past year and to ask for a good rainy season and a bountiful harvest. “People need to believe in God or in someone or something and to give thanks for living and for all we have and to ask for blessings during the coming year. The celebration is wonderful, since it is a space where people meet, chat, forgive and share. That is the wonder of this party,” said Don Polo. 

The festivities

The celebration begins one week before the last weekend of May (this year, on May 22) with music and fireworks every night. On the last Thursday of May (this year, May 29), the Huapango group Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú, headed by Guillermo Velázques, continues its tradition of giving a concert to honor the Santa Cruz. Coplas (verses) about Valle del Maíz and its tradition are included in their music.

The main celebration takes place on May 30, when mañanitas or tardecitas are sung to the Santa Cruz and men and women dressed as Chichimecas perform indigenous dances. They then follow the Santa Cruz in a procession leading from the Valle along Callejón del Valle del Maíz and Salida a Querétaro.

The procession is accompanied by mojigangas, the large, extravagant papier-mâché puppets that bounce and flounce through San Miguel’s streets during many public fiestas.

During the celebration, which continues all night long, rituals such as the blessing of the gunpowder used for the rockets and fireworks and of the crucero (a xúchil, or large decoration, made of chucharilla, a wild plant now in danger of extinction) take place. During an all-night vigil, several chucharilla decorations are created and concheros perform religious music.

At 5am, the traditional alborada (dawning) takes place with rockets and fireworks, ending with an offering of tamales and atole to all the participants by the neighborhood families. 

During Saturday and Sunday, the party continues with prayers, dances and parades and a re-enacted battle between Chichimecas and Spanish soldiers.

Fernando Gallegos, a resident of Valle del Maíz, has danced with the Chichimecas since he was eight years old. “Everyone in my family has participated in the dances for generations. I, myself, do it out of devotion to the Santa Cruz. When I was a child, what I loved the most was participating in the mock battle.

I still do it, but with moderation, since it hurts when they knock you to the ground,” said Fernando.

The mojigangas For 18 years Don Polo has been in charge of making the mojigangas for the Valle del Maíz party. According to him, mojigangas were brought to Mexico by the Spanish conquerors around 1600 to enliven religious festivities.

At that time, they represented venerated figures. Don Polo said that now the only objective of the mojigangas is to heighten the celebration and announce that the parade is coming. “They have a function similar to that of the rockets and fireworks: they are a way to tell people that we are having a party and to invite them to come.”

Don Polo said that more than 18 years ago Don Lupe Rodríguez was the man who made the mojigangas for all the festivals in town. He lived on calle Relox in what it is known today as Andador Lucas Balderas. “He was an excellent papier-mâché artisan. I met him and watched him working. I never imagined that one day I would be doing his job.

When he was dying, he was very sad because there would be nobody to continue his work because he was childless. I decided then that I must learn to make the mojigangas. I did, and I thought I would do the job for four or five years and then I would teach someone else to do it. But 18 years have already passed and I am still making them, and I have not yet understood completely how to manage something as simple cardboard and paste.” 

Most of the mojigangas represent women, devils or the grim reaper, but it is not their purpose to represent evil. Each figure is 10 to 12 meters high and costs around 2,000 pesos. To make them, Don Polo uses cardboard, recycled paper, paste and wire. For the molds, he uses clay, gypsum or polyurethane foam. About 30 people voluntarily help him either with donations of money or labor. He also earns money to make the mojigangas by giving workshops on mojiganga construction in different states and countries.

When one enters his workshop, one can feel the atmosphere of collaboration and cheerfulness. Both young and old work enthusiastically. “Many of them work on their own figures and wear them during the party. They do not seem to get tired from dancing inside a mojiganga for hours during the three-day event.

On the contrary, it is a pleasure for them,” said Don Polo. “There are some figures like the devil or death that are heavier than others. Some of them take turns wearing such figures; others prefer to do it alone.”


Valle del Maíz Festivities

Friday, May 23
8pm: Music, Horizonte Musical & The Houdson Boys



Saturday, May 24
9:30pm: Rehearsal, theater play “El Tesoro Escondido” (The Hidden Treasure)


Sunday, May 25
8pm: Music, Estación del Amor


Monday, May 26
7pm: Music, Sonido Fantasma, (audio & video)


Tuesday, May 27
7pm: Puppet show by Mónica Hoth, clowns and gifts for children
9pm: “Norteña” music with group Los Gallitos Madrugadores



Wednesday, May 28
8pm: Reggae music w/groups Antidoping & Atletas Campesinos


Thursday May, 29
7pm: Athletic competition for women
8pm: Huapango concert by Guillermo Vázquez & Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú
9:30: Entrance of the wax (candles) by Miguel Herrera & assistants


Friday, May 30
5pm: Athletic competition, all categories, departing from the Valle del Maíz Church
6pm: Music with “tambora”; “Mañanitas” or “Tardecitas” for the Santa Cruz
8:30pm: Pre-Hispanic dances & parade, live music, mojigangas, locos, & neighbors of Valle del Maíz
11:30: Arrival of the Santa Cruz at the Valle del Maíz Church
12am: All-night vigil, blessing of the gunpowder, and of the crucero (cucharilla offerings). Fireworks & rockets


Saturday, May 31
4am: Gunpowder collection
5am: Alborada
7am: Atole served
8am: Music in the church’s esplanade
3pm: Offerings in the church’s espalanade, pre-Hispanic dance “Águila Real” , with group Shopitanteha from Yerbabuena, Guanajuato. 
4pm: Blessing of the oxen 
5pm: Traditional wars of Chichimeca Indians and soldiers, in the land opposite Plaza Real del Conde
7pm: Palo ensebado (greasy pole), in the church’s esplanade
9pm: Vigil to honor Santa Cruz by several rural communities
10pm: Fireworks & rockets


Sunday June 1
4am: Powder collection
5am: Alborada
7am. Atole served
12pm: Parade with mojigangas, pre-Hispanic dances, & locos though the main streets of the city
2pm: Burning of “monitos” (cardboard dolls), and lunch by the Arzola Ramírez Family
4pm: “Parandes” (cucharilla offerings) in the church’s esplanade
7pm: Theater play: “El Tesoro Escondido” (The Hidden Treasure)
8pm: Palo ensebado (greasy pole)
9:30pm: Fireworks and rockets


Guillermo Velázques and Leones de la Sierra Gorda de Xichú

A musical group, representative of the huapango arribeño and campesina poetry, one of the most complex expressions of the Mexican music of the Sierra Gorda, an area located in Central Mexico, including the states of Querétaro, Guanajuato and San Luis Potosí. For 18 years, they have participated in the festivities of Valle del Maíz, being a mutual compromise between Los Leones and the mojigangas and dancers of Valle del Maíz, who attends to the Huapango Festival in the Sierra Gorda, each December. 

Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú are formed by: Guillermo Velázquez (poet y art director), José Inés Suárez y Mario González (violins), Javier Rodríguez (vihuela, kind of guitar), Alejandro Montaño (bass), María Isabel Flores (singer and dancer), Benito Lara (dancer) y Joel Monroy (special guest violinist).

Leones de la Sierra de Xichu

Not picturesque folklore  Our celebration is in essence  Dignity and resistance  Face with subjugation Today, when everything is for sale And everything grows too large, Our celebration brings life And between two extremes mediates  To save our creative spirit  From inertia A mask, a drum, The Holy Cross, copal, incense Are heritage and mystery Not picturesque folklore

Paste, cardboard, and reeds
And party colors 
Make up the mojiganga
Toy, symbol, and spell…
Tortillas and every stew
With its very own flavor
Entail life and love,
Happiness that is shared 
A gift and work of art


No picturesque folklore
In each note of the concheros
Each pray and praise
Each movement of the dance
The art of the fireworks
The verse of the poet
Everything together is glow
And a spring of life
Birds in stampede
Not picturesque folklore


Guillermo Velázquez
Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú

San Miguel in good shape for World Heritage list
By Jesús Ibarra

From July 2 to 10, UNESCO ambassadors representing several countries will meet in Québec, Canada, to decide whether San Miguel de Allende and the Shrine of Atotonilco will be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. If the outcome of the decision is favorable for San Miguel, one of the main benefits for the city would be the federal funds granted to World Heritage cities to support infrastructure and to restore and preserve the city’s architectural and historical heritage. 

According to the World Heritage Centre UNESCO website (http://whc.unesco.org), “a key benefit of ratification, particularly for developing countries, is access to the World Heritage Fund.” Each year, this fund makes available US$4 million to help countries identify, preserve and promote World Heritage sites. In Mexico, the federal program that allocates World Heritage funds specifically for the preservation of historic town centers is called Hábitat, Vertientes Centros Históricos and is administered by the Department of Social Development. In 2007, it provided 5 million pesos to each of the nine sites in Mexico with historic centers. 

Last week, Mayor Jesús Correa and City Secretary Cristóbal Finkelstein traveled to Paris to promote San Miguel one final time. In an interview with Atención, Finkelstein said that they met with 16 of the 21 representatives of the different countries who would be at the meeting in Québec. “They did not say anything openly, but they all said that they think San Miguel’s candidature is quite viable, mostly the representatives of Latin-American countries and other countries favorable to Mexico,” he said. Some of the representatives with whom Correa and Finkelstein spoke were the ambassadors from Cuba, Peru, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Brazil, Nigeria, Mauricio Islands, Canada and the United States. 

According to Finkelstein, Correa and he talked with Francesco Banderin, head of the UNESCO World Heritage Center, and presented him with a summary of San Miguel’s technical file that included a prologue written by President Felipe Calderón himself. Banderín also said that our city’s candidature is quite solid.

Finkelstein said that they also hosted a lunch for Homero Aridjis, UNESCO’s Mexican ambassador. 

Mexico Round-up
Compiled by Atención staff

We’ve compiled an overview of lead stories from last week’s national newspapers to keep our readers informed of recent developments across Mexico.


National News

Heat wave toasts Mexico

According to El Sol del Bajío, the heat is rising in Mexico. On May 14, Dolores Hidalgo registered a temperature of 37 degrees centigrade (98o F). Temperatures are rising, possibly due to global warming, but certainly because summer is coming. The temperature will rise to 39 degrees centigrade (102o F), reports Protección Civil (Civil Defense) coordinator Ernesto Ramirez Garcia. He adds that the hottest months in San Miguel are April and May because of the absence of rain. The heat is manifested mainly in rural rather than urban areas. We can expect widespread rains from mid-May through June, which will benefit farmers and lower evening temperatures in town.

The heat is scorching all of Mexico. Jalisco and Mexico City recorded temperatures over 45 degrees (113o F). The National Meteorological Service forecasts temperatures of 44 degrees (111o F) in the Mixteca and 42 degrees (107o F) near Veracruz. In the neighboring state of San Luis Potosi, livestock are reported to be dying from hunger and thirst, and fields are dry.

Strong rainy season predicted

According to El Diario de Querétaro, 14 tropical storms, 9 moderate hurricanes and 5 intense hurricanes are expected for the coming rainy season. Jorge Luis Alarcon Neve, Secretary General of the Government of Querétaro, reported this stormy weather during a presentation May 14, “Strategic Rainy Season 2008.”

Alarcon reported that from May 15 to November 15 this year, the National Meteorological Service anticipates these storms. A three-stage program will involve 281 volunteers from the seven Municipal Delegations of Querétaro such as Obras Públicas (Public Works), Servicios Municipales (Municipal Services) and Seguridad Pública (Public Safety).

Food crisis to hit Mexico?

According to La Jornada, deputies and PRI members announced in a press conference that Mexico can be greatly affected by the world food crisis. Deputies also said prices of grains and basic market products have increased significantly in recent months. President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa should take action in the short, medium and long term so the low food supply does not harm Mexico. Calderón instructed the departments concerned to address the problem.

Cesar Duarte Jaquez Padilla and Hector Gutierrez, members of the PRI, said that Mexico imports grain and food from the US and a border closure would create havoc in Mexico. The lack of food and subsequent price speculation could be dangerous for the political and social stability of the country.

Migracion detains 84 from four South American countries

According to El Heraldo de Chiapas, Instituto Nacional de Migracion stopped a Transportes Cháves company vehicle on May 8 that contained 84 illegal immigrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Ecuador. The trailer was stopped for a routine inspection on La Angostura freeway in Chiapas. The undocumented adults, 69 men and 15 women, had paid a certain amount of money to reach the US and were traveling in inhumane conditions. They were transferred to the Chiapas migration offices and later will be repatriated to their places of origin.

Mexican SSP creates new public security corps

El Universal reported on May 15 that the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública Federal, SSP (Federal Public Security Department) will create a private security corps to replace auxiliary police and will charge for its security services.

The new group will be named Servicio de Protección Federal (Federal Protection Service) and it will report to the Dirección General de Seguridad Privada (Public Security General Department) headed by Luis Cardenas Palomino. The Federal Protective Service will begin working in Mexico City as a first step with 10,000 members.

Since last December, SSP has been recruiting people to serve on this new security force. Some of those already recruited feel deceived because they were led to believe they would be assigned to the federal forces division and this was not so. In fact, their salaries for four months of work have not been paid.

The monthly salary of 12,000 pesos offered at the beginning did not materialize. The members were being trained in the federal forces detachment where they do not have access to the dining room and so far their expenses have not been covered.



Regional News

Railroad dispute ends with a compromise

A battle to block plans by the country’s second largest railroad to build a siding extension near San Miguel ended with an agreement to move the project about three miles south of the three communities whose residents launched a protest more than two months ago. (Guadalajara Reporter, Saturday, 10 May 2008)

Educational needs assessment in San Miguel 

According to El Sol del Bajío, director of Educación y Cultura Veronica Agundis has stressed the importance of improving educational infrastructure in the town. 

Members of the Municipal Council of Social Participation in education (COMUPASE) held their third meeting to analyze main themes in educational infrastructure, such as the need to create new schools to cover the demands of basic education and the introduction of draft Patios Interactivos (Interactive Yards) developed by rural teachers to teach children the importance of teamwork and socializing. 

The meeting was attended by zone supervisors, Committee on Education and Culture aldermen, Northern Region I education representatives, National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) representatives and municipal Education and Culture personnel.