Our visit to Teotitlan started in the church. Like most of the pueblos surrounding Oaxaca, Teotitlan has a governing structure where administrative duties are performed by citizens as a type of voluntary community service, including serving as leader and as part of a sort of police force. People also volunteer to ring the church bells, to bring the flowers and candles, etc. It is an honor to serve the community in any way, including landscaping and cleaning.
We saw some of the “officers” today; our guide said their role is to correct people if they are acting badly. They wear similar shirts and carry walking sticks.
Teotitlan has a museum called Balaa Xtee Guech Gulal (a Zapotec phrase that means in the shadow of the old village). The museum features three main areas, one dedicated to the pueblo’s archeology, one to crafts, and one to weddings and traditions associated with weddings (including the concept of Guelaguetza). Guelaguetza (in addition to being one of the largest exhibitions of folkloric dance in July) is a way of keeping a record of who brought what to your fiesta. Then, when the attendees of your fiesta have a fiesta of their own, you reciprocate. For example, at my wedding you bring a case of beer and a box of fruit. I will do the same for yours. This is how the people share their bounty and have so many parties. You’ll see in one of the photos the bounty (fruits, sodas, beer, and mezcal) the people brought to share.
shewhodaresnothing 