September is Amerindian Heritage Month which is celebrated all over the country. Unfortunately, due to a mandatory conference in town, we missed our village’s celebrations. There are numerous competitions, village wide projects, and dancing. The school children get done up in traditional dress and walk barefoot over the mountain into our village, symbolizing the coming of their ancestors. It’s the one time of the year that the village really comes together and celebrates, and we missed it all.

One mother did mention to me that she had wanted a picture of her kids in their heritage outfits and asked if I would take one and print it for her. Of course I would, so one afternoon two little girls showed up at my door for their photo.

Aren’t they awesome? The girl on the left has a toucan on her back, and the one on the right has a headdress made of parrot feathers. We can’t wait for next year’s heritage celebrations. We’ll make sure to get lots of photos.