A few days ago, our TCRN team spoke with Diego Díaz, who shared every detail of the event everyone is talking about in Costa Rica, “Cultura Ancestral” Diego is the founder and organizer of “Ancestral Culture” activities.
He is in charge of planning and acting as a bridge between indigenous representatives, coordinating the agenda of activities and the various areas of production, logistics, and sponsorship.
Attending Cultura Ancestral enriches the spirit, empowers wisdom, strengthens the connection with nature, and is a protagonist of the ties between tribes, their practices, and traditions.
In 2025, its second edition was held from March 14-16 in Esterillos Este and Quebrada Amarilla, Jacó, Costa Rica. Attendees enjoyed the essence and wisdom of ancestral guests belonging to the Boruca, Cabecar, Bröran/Terraba, Huetar, Ngäbe, Mapuche Qolla (Chile), and other tribes from Brazil and Venezuela.
How did Diego become connected with Cultura Ancestral?
For Diego, Cultura Ancestral is a prayer and offering that he has been working on with the communities around him since 2024, when the first edition was held.
“It is an inspiration that springs from my heart through Daniel Yepez, founder of Alianza Soberana, and our shared vision of creating alliances between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica, thus raising awareness of the wealth found in the hearts of all people when they believe in themselves, in their culture of origin, and connect with the purpose that brings each of us here today, both individually and collectively,” he expressed.
In this way, he said, he maintains a vision and inspiration that penetrates his heart, a pure place where he personally recognized himself, as part of a new generation that feels called to serve, and in that service, emit a vibration of strength, resilience, and autonomy.
“The very life that runs through our DNA has memory, and it is our ancestry, the dreams of our grandparents, the energy they gave through spirituality and their connection with love, the compassion they felt for their children, and the hope for a better world with a healthier society, connected to the earth. That opportunity is alive within us today through our own virtues and dreams to create a reality with purpose and consciousness.”
What does Cultura Ancestral mean as words and as an event?
As words, “Ancestral Culture” contains implicit concepts that underpin the foundation Diego and the entire event organizing team work with. In Diego’s opinion, “Culture” is something that is alive, something we breathe through. Of the individual and collective work we do, giving value and conviction to who we are as a people, giving continuity to the human values that unite and strengthen us to honor the beauty of life and nature, through art, music, and spirituality, generating a broader and more expansive consciousness.
“Ancestral” defines it as the reminiscence of the origin that brings us to this time, the ancient memory that is alive in each of us, where our ancestors planted seeds that they cultivated throughout their lives and scattered so that we may also find them alive today in our hearts, and thus continue the task of sowing awareness through action along the way, step by step, inspiring good living to forge healthy relationships with ourselves and our environment. Now, he defines Cultura Ancestral (event) as a meeting place that provides an open space for communion between cultures, worldviews, and spirituality, exalting the value of the arts, music, the connection to the Earth, and the wisdom of the peoples who inhabit it through their sacred practices and rituals.
“We give voice to people who deeply experience the culture that gave them birth, so we can learn and create with them by listening to their stories and receiving their knowledge. This has great value, as it strengthens relationships and dissolves barriers to build a foundation that seeks sovereignty and autonomy,” he explained.
Within the event, participants enjoy artistic workshops, musical concerts led by important Costa Rican cultural figures, sacred ceremonies led by indigenous communities, speaking circles, and discussions.
Very importantly, by experiencing an organic resonance from what they sowed in the first edition, they now have a solid team that allowed for greater production and organization this year.
What made the encounter special
This meeting was especially important because, as we mentioned before, it enjoyed the greatest support and conviction of Costa Rica’s indigenous communities, such as: Huetar, Boruca, Bribrón-Terraba, Cabécar, and Gnobe.
An example of this tremendous support is provided by representatives of Costa Rican culture, such as Manuel Obregón and Tapado Vargas, who gave an opening concert that generated a sense of integration thanks to the work they have done to rescue the values of indigenous cultures and grassroots music within the Central American country.
Also present and providing special support were Ikka and Felipe Kilakeo, from the Mapuche Qolla culture in Chile, who shared his wisdom of the path, which was of great help in weaving and strengthening the intercultural relationships of the communities present. With him, a Word Circle was held to create a network that gave Indigenous peoples a voice on topics such as sovereignty, autonomy, and preservation, in order to learn from them and take into account their perspective on these important issues, which are important for generating greater awareness of the possibilities and open paths we have to progress in alliance.
We cannot fail to mention the Ikkaruna concert, a Sacred Folklore musical performance where everyone heard the heritage of South American songs and “Buen Vivir”. Lucas and Marypaz performed a musical ceremony where they presented the value of community integration through music and dance. Their work is related to social activism through music, the Dances of Universal Peace, and their original music of great beauty, which reminds us of important human values such as community, family, and the integration of the spiritual currents of diverse peoples.
The presence of representatives of the Bribrón-Terraba community, an Indigenous people who have managed to recover their lands and strengthen their cultural roots, serving as a great example of sovereignty, was very special and enjoyable.
They shared their story and how they have achieved these great achievements for the autonomy of Indigenous peoples, prospering and celebrating their cultural richness.
The event of the year!
Events like Cultura Ancestral mark a positive future for Costa Rica, which should serve as an example for other nations.
In these times where individual intentions tend to increase, Ancestral Culture encourages reflection by working collectively and honoring our ancestors, their wisdom, and other virtues that have endured through the years.
This event, made up of a valuable group of committed people, also promotes connection with nature, creativity, the awakening of consciousness, and the preservation of ancestral traditions.
An unforgettable experience! It preserves and, at the same time, protects the ancestral heritage of our times, creating ties between the cultures of Costa Rica and other countries.
