Founded in 2014, the Indigenous community of Ki’kotemal created a school on a day conducive to weaving, the initiation ceremonies and customs of the Ancestors. 10 B’atz ‘in the Cholq’ij calendar, the three stones of the Xcup are placed, on the hearth, to establish the base of the Ki’kotemal School that was later named Ki’kotemal Community in the Gregorian calendar the date was August 4, 2014.
The three cornerstones that support the Ki’kotemal Community are:
The spiritual stone, the food sovereignty stone, and the socio-cultural stone. At the core of the effort is the creation of a learning center for Maya youth – the Ki’kotemal Community — a gathering place of harmony and happiness. The Ki’kotemal Community is creating spaces where students can ponder their questions, recover the past, and learn from Elders. The young people have publicly declared “I understand better what it means to be Maya” and “Now, I can proudly say who I am, where I come from, and decide where to go.”
“Our vision is to promote happiness and harmony among the people through connection with our roots, our ancestral practices and our Mother Earth for the benefit of the common welfare.”
The community has developed educational programs, emphasizing ancestral practices and values that offer Indigenous youth and Elders the necessary resources to become agents of social transformation.