22nd Anniversary of Radio Station XEETCH
Etchojoa, Sonora
Indigenous Radio Station Celebrates 22 Years
Etchojoa, Sonora
Indigenous radio station XEETCH, the “Voice of the Three Rivers” in Etchojoa, Sonora, celebrated its 22nd anniversary over the weekend of February 17 – 18, 2018.
XEETCH transmits music and information in four languages – Yaqui, Mayo, Guarijio and Spanish – to a region that includes Southern Sonora, Northern Sinaloa and Western Chihuahua.
The annual event has become one of the biggest indigenous gatherings of the region, with more than 20,000 attending last year’s anniversary. And from the looks of it, this year there were even more attendees and participants.
Starting in December, the grounds of the XEETCH campus were converted to a large celebration venue, with traditional wood-and-thatch structures occupied by vendors of art and crafts, authors, healers, religious artifacts, dancers, traditional food kitchens and structures where members of various indigenous groups gathered.
Since the event was during Lent, many of the participants wore traditional clothing and masks of Fariseos, a Lenten season tradition of the Mayo and Yaqui peoples. There were also traditional pascola and deer dancers, women in beautiful traditional dresses and other examples of traditional clothing and dance.
For those who are interested in a first-hand cultural and learning experience with the indigenous people and cultures of Sonora, Mexico, the annual XEETCH anniversary offers a wonderful opportunity for a rich cultural immersion.
If you are interested in attending the 2019 anniversary with an Alamos, Sonora tour group, contact Ambos Tours of Arizona.
