Claudia Santos, a 50-year-old woman in Mexico City, has embarked on a spiritual journey to reconnect with her pre-Hispanic heritage. She recently tattooed the symbol “Ollin,” meaning “movement” in Nahuatl, on her wrist as a tribute to her ancestral identity. Santos, dressed in white with feathers, leads Mexica ceremonies in Tepito, honoring Cuauhtémoc, the last emperor of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, each August since co-founding an organization in 2021 to raise awareness of their community’s heritage.

Santos emphasizes the importance of dignifying Tepito as an Indigenous neighborhood known for resilience and strength. The site chosen for their ceremony, now a Catholic church, holds significant historical and spiritual value as the place where Cuauhtémoc defended the territory against European conquerors. Despite the church’s current presence, the cosmic memories of their ancestors are believed to still resonate at this sacred location, aligned with the sun.

Throughout their preparations for the ceremony, Santos and Indigenous leaders were graciously allowed by the church’s priest to freely navigate the temple’s esplanade. This opportunity to reclaim their sacred space is deeply appreciated by Santos, who sees it as a way to bridge religious and spiritual beliefs. A Mayan spiritual guide also participated, offering rituals and praising the unity of different spiritual practices within the Catholic space.

The ceremonies, marked by the sound of conch shells and the aroma of burning copal resin, attracted locals seeking peace and purification. This Mexica ceremony, known as “tlalmanalli,” serves as an offering to Mother Earth, providing spiritual blessings and medicinal benefits to all participants. Santos, formerly immersed in Catholicism, found profound spiritual fulfillment in embracing her pre-Hispanic roots, symbolized by her new name “Ollin Chalchiuhtlicue,” meaning “precious movement of the water.”

Santos sees her spiritual journey as a means of reclaiming dignity and preserving the essence of the Indigenous community, emphasizing the importance of resistance and resilience in Tepito. By honoring their ancestors and ancient traditions, Santos aims to pass on the legacy of their Motherland’s glory to future generations, acknowledging the enduring strength of their heritage.