Mexico celebrated World’s Indigenous Peoples Day (VIDEO)

Mexico celebrated World’s Indigenous Peoples Day

The day aims to raise awareness about indigenous rights

LOCATION: Mexico City, Mexico

Folk dancers performed the Dance of the Devils

It is a native dance from the south of Mexico

It tells the story of African slaves escaping from the Spanish.

NAME: Sofia De Jesus, March participant

“It’s very important to us and especially in Mexico City because it’s losing a lot of its culture, children don’t want to speak (an indigenous language) because they’re embarrassed. So this event we do, this festival is for that, so that children don’t feel embarrassed. It’s culture, to preserve what we have, we have to look after it.”

There are at least 17 million indigenous citizens in Mexico

They share a wide range of cultures, customs and languages

Nearly 70% of the indigenous population lives in poverty