Unbroken: Indigenous Peoples Today

América December, Aztec Dancer and Spiritual Elder

América December, an Aztec dancer and elder, kneels in front of a Mexica art mural and begins a smoke cleansing ceremony, which is usually referred to as a 'blessing' or a 'limpia.'

During these ceremonies, especially the larger ones, América takes on the responsibility of a 'sahumadora', which is a spiritual woman that carries and shares the 'sahumador' (vessel or incense burner) with others.

"Whenever we dance, whenever we're anywhere, we spread the 'sahumerio' (aromatic smoke) to not only cleanse the space of negative energies but to offer protection, call in the ancestors, and carry prayers. We also keep the smoke going to break down barriers when people are communicating. It helps them to open their heart, to make the words come out that they need to speak.

"We speak and breathe together and then let it go with the wind. You know, a lot of people are worried about the wind, about their looks and just get irritated because the wind just messed up their really cool hairstyle, but in my culture we learned that you let the wind flow through your hair and you do the same thing here. You release. You release whatever you're holding inside and you let the wind take it. And then you say a little prayer asking that it goes, it continues, and it doesn't harm anyone along the way. That it doesn't make anyone feel what you're feeling and needed to release. That it finds its way to a safe place."

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