fifth edition of the “Día de Muertos” Festival
Women Who Carry Memory
Bern, 2025
This year’s altar, “Women Who Carry Memory,” honors the voices, wisdom, and legacy of Indigenous women who have preserved Mexico’s ancestral knowledge through generations.
The ofrenda is built in three ascending levels, inspired by the pyramid form, a symbol of connection between the earth and the spirit, representing the cycle of life and the eternal link between past and present.
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This level celebrates the bond between women and the land, the origin of food, medicine, and community.
Textiles resembling rebozos and huipiles, clay vessels, seeds, and cempasúchil flowers evoke fertility, nature, and the sacred role of women as guardians of the earth. -
Here, we honor women as transmitters of culture and language.
Illustrations portray Indigenous women from various regions of Mexico, each carrying the memory of her people through their knowledge, skils, crafts, and oral tradition, the living heart of their communities. -
The highest level embodies the spiritual connection between life and death, the bridge that unites us with those who came before.
Adorned with flowers, copal incense, a cross, and the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe, it reflects the syncretic faith that shapes Mexican identity: a union of Indigenous beliefs and Catholic tradition.
This final tier invites reflection and peace, a place where memory becomes light.
María Sabina
(1894–1985, Mazatec – Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca)
A revered curandera and spiritual guide, María Sabina devoted her life to healing through prayer, ceremony, and the wisdom of her ancestors.
Rooted in Mazatec traditions, her rituals were acts of faith and poetry, expressions of harmony between the natural and the sacred world.
Today, she is remembered as a guardian of ancestral knowledge and as one of Mexico’s most respected Indigenous voices.
Luz Jiménez
(1897–1965, Nahua – Milpa Alta, Mexico City)
A storyteller, teacher, and model for many of Mexico’s great artists, Luz Jiménez dedicated her life to preserving the Nahuatl language and culture.
She witnessed the Mexican Revolution and became a symbol of resilience, representing the Indigenous woman in works by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and Jean Charlot.
Beyond her image, Luz was a teacher and translator, keeping alive the ancient stories, myths, and words of her people, ensuring that the Nahua voice would never fade.
Rosario Castellanos
(1925–1974, Chiapas – Mexico City)
One of Mexico’s most influential writers and thinkers, Rosario Castellanos gave literary form to the silenced experiences of women and Indigenous communities.
Although not Indigenous herself, she grew up in Chiapas among Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples, whose realities profoundly shaped her worldview.
Her novels and essays, including Balún Canán and Oficio de Tinieblas, explore themes of identity, justice, and empathy.
As a poet, diplomat, and advocate for education, she challenged inequality and gave voice to those history often ignored. Her words remain a light for understanding and dignity.