In June, we bid the spring season farewell and welcome the summer's heat and intensity. In Kiskeya, devotees of the 21 divisions, the Indian branch of the 21 divisions, and the Liboristas prepare for the annual ceremony commemorating this event.
The conquerors benefited from the celebrations established by the people of Abiayala. They attempted to replace indigenous celebrations with Catholic ones. The summer solstice was one of them, as many of our early cultures saw themselves as sons and daughters of the sun, with rulers acting as their earthly representatives. In Kiskeya, we also believed that the power of our Kasikes came from the sun, which they used to govern the Yukayekes. The guanin medallion that hung on their chest symbolized their solar power. The guanin, the copper-gold alliance obtained in South America, where we came from, also represents the sacred bird, the hummingbird, in its plumage.
In Kiskeya, on June 24, we celebrate Saint John the Baptist in the eyes of the Catholic church and the general public; this is one of the celebrations the colonizers attempted to replace but were not entirely successful. To provide two examples: the Kasikes' are also celebrated on Saint John the Baptist's day in the provinces of Bani and San Juan de la Maguana in Kiskeya. Ritual offerings and songs are made with genuine love and devotion to Anacaona, Caonabo, and other kasikes from the syncretic popular religion pantheon.
Sending love your way, my dear community,
Akutu Irka
