Indigenous Community Says Miss Universe Desecrated Deer Dance

Less than a week has passed since the Miss Universe 2024 Pageant ended, and Belizeans are grappling with another year without placing. While many praised Belize’s representative, Halima Hoy, for her stunning display of Belizean culture, criticism has also emerged. Today, the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM, released an open letter calling Hoy’s national costume and presentation of the Deer Dance sacrilegious. The letter states, “the Deer Dance is a religious ceremony of Maya communities. While its origins are a mystery, it is a tradition that enacts the Maya view of what is sacred. No Maya person brought up in their culture would ever put on a Deer Dance mask or clothing outside of the rituals. To do otherwise is sacrilegious and invites misfortune”. The organization acknowledges the well-intended purpose of the performance but insists that without proper adherence to the dance’s protocols, it fails to honor its true meaning. The statement concludes with a call for cultural policy and legislation to properly protect and promote Mayan culture.