A new and poignant exhibition titled Los últimos testigos is set to open on July 30, 2025, at the Museo Regional de la Costa Oriental (MURECO) in Tulum, Quintana Roo.
Centered on the Maya Caste War—or Guerra Social Maya—this exhibition brings to light a chapter of history marked by resistance, identity, and survival (PortalGuanajuato.MX).
Exhibition Focus: Voices of Maya Descendants
The photographic series by Canadian artist Serge Barbeau features 20 portraits of descendants of key leaders and combatants from the Maya uprising (1847–1901). These images are powerful testaments to resilience and ancestral memory. Complementing these portraits are three large-format textile works—a cross, a rosary, and a huipil—crafted by Yucatecan sculptor Marcela Díaz using coconut fibre, symbolizing both cultural craft and spiritual resistance (PortalGuanajuato.MX).
Timeline & Context
The Maya Caste War began in July 1847 in Tepich, Quintana Roo, as an uprising led by Maya communities against colonial and local injustice. It lasted until 1901, culminating in the brutal suppression of Maya-controlled regions and the tragic loss of countless lives. The conflict is now being recast as a symbol of indigenous resistance and social injustice in Mexican history (Diario Cambio 22 – Península Libre).
Location & Visitor Experience
Taking place in Sala Kaab within MURECO, the exhibition runs from July 30, 2025, through February 1, 2026. Admission is free, though entrance fees to Parque del Jaguar, where the museum is located, still apply. Residents of Tulum can enter at no cost by presenting a valid local ID (PortalGuanajuato.MX).
Special Events
The opening ceremony will include:
- A lecture titled “In Search of María Uicab” by historian Carlos Francisco Chablé Mendoza and researcher Georgina Rosado Rosado, highlighting the role of María Uicab—a spiritual-political leader during the Maya resistance.
- A folk music concert by composer Arturo Bayona Miramontes, whose songs are inspired by environmental themes.
- An honorary recognition of Angelino Chablé Chi, descendant of Cecilio Chi, as a gesture honoring generational memory and continuity (PortalGuanajuato.MX).
Cultural and Historical Significance
The exhibition has been organized with support from Fundación Zamna Tulum and Hola Tulum Comunicación, reflecting a broader effort to preserve Maya heritage. By foregrounding descendant voices, murals, and symbols, the exhibition breaks away from sanitized historical narratives and embraces a perspective centered on indigenous experience and community memory.
It aligns with projects like the creation of the Museo Histórico in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, which also recounts Maya resistance through figures such as María Uicab and the Cruz Parlante leadership tradition (PortalGuanajuato.MX, lajornadamaya.mx).
Why This Exhibition Matters
This exhibition provides:
- A rare platform for Maya descendants to tell their story through art and scholarship.
- A lens into the complexities and human costs of the Caste War, understood now as a broader social and historical struggle.
- A bridge between past and present, connecting artistic representation with community remembrance and resilience.
Looking Ahead
Los últimos testigos offers a meaningful opportunity to engage with the lived legacy of Maya resistance and indigenous identity in the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a journey that invites reflection, respect, and renewed understanding of one of Mexico’s most impactful—and enduring—historical movements.
Visiting the exhibition not only enriches one’s knowledge of Maya history but also supports a process of cultural memory that continues to resonate today
