Defending Ñöñhö identity and survival through festival performances and the affirmation of local cultural sovereignty in Querétaro, Mexico

ABSTRACT The festivals of San Miguel in the municipality of Tolimán, performed by the Ñöñhö (Otomí) indigenous community of the Querétaro Mexican state, include different celebrations. This article focuses on two such celebrations: the Danza de Conquista and the ritual of the chimal. I approach these two celebrations as elements of Ñöñhö identity making and as illustrations of the resilience of the people of Tolimán who rejected the proposal to have the festivals recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. In June and July of 2021, I interviewed participants in the festivals and representatives of cultural institutions that promote them. My fieldwork was guided by a series of key questions: (a) What are the meanings of the chimal for Tolimanenses? (b) How do Tolimanenses see emigration to the United States, and in what ways do people who emigrate there maintain links with these festive traditions? (c) what were the steps of the process that led to the proposal to have UNESCO designate the festivals as Intangible Cultural Heritage? My research reveals the festivals as having a transformative power of resilience, belonging, and identity validation.