Stories That Live: Preserving the Memory of Indigenous Peoples from Childhood
On this Children’s Day, Fundación Causa Azul A.C. wishes to share and recognize the cultural richness of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico through the stories that safeguard their memory and connect them to their roots.
Adriana Bautista, an artisan from the Wixárika culture and a native of the community of San Andrés Cohamiata “Tateikie”, in the municipality of Mezquitic, shares what it meant to her to listen, as a child, to the Wixárika stories told by her grandmother, as well as the importance of hearing them in her mother tongue.
When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell us many stories. It was very special to hear them in our Wixárika language; we truly enjoyed those moments.
— Adriana Bautista, 2026
Through traditional storytelling, grandmothers and grandfathers pass on the Wixárika worldview to children. These stories, shared around campfires or before bedtime, have been transmitted from generation to generation as a way of teaching, preserving memory, and strengthening cultural identity.
Today, Adriana continues this tradition by sharing these stories with her child, reaffirming their importance as a fundamental part of her culture, identity, and communal heritage.
Today, as a mother, I want to pass these stories on to my child so that they continue to live.
— Adriana Bautista, 2026
Preserving and sharing these stories is a way to keep culture alive, strengthen community identity, and honor the memory of Indigenous Peoples.
