Transitional rituals and modernity among Otomi people from Bernal, Queretaro: local stories of the Holy Cross celebration

Abstract

The collective memory of some Otomi from Bernal is expressed in their narratives about the past. Their participation in celebrations in honor of Santa Cruz, show the tense, contentious and belligerent, relationship with the priests who came to the parish of San Sebastián Bernal and banned some rituals and celebrations in the second half of the 20th century. These stories appear, are actualized and acquire greater consistency in order to justify new political practices incorporated in rituals. Local stories narrated on the occasion of the celebration emphasize the external process of reassessment of local traditions in the context of the draft declaration of Bernal Otomi rituals of the semi-desert and as Intangible Cultural Heritage.