SATIIM Blasts Belize’s Deer Dance Display at Miss Universe

It’s been less than a week since Miss Universe 2024 took place in Mexico. Miss Universe Belize, Halima Hoy, was praised for her performance, even though she did not secure a placement in the top 30.
The Miss Universe Belize 2024 national costume was unveiled on October 23 and combines cultural heritage and artistry. It draws inspiration from the traditional Mayan Deer Dance. While, Belizeans across the country supported the concept, today, the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) fired off a press release, blasting the recent performance of the Deer Dance at the pageant.
The national costume that was showcased at Miss Universe on November 14 has sparked an “important conversation about how to protect Maya cultural values and heritage,” said SATIIM. The institute added, “No Maya person brought up in their culture would ever put on a Deer Dance mask or clothing outside of the rituals.”

SATIIM explained that the traditional clothes worn in the Deer Dance, known as unok/nok’, are spiritually significant and should not be treated as “trendy, decorative costumes.”
The open letter further explained that the Deer Dance is a multi-day ritual that requires preparation, fasting, and prayer, and cannot simply be “cut and pasted” for public displays.
The institute condemned the use of the Deer Dance in the pageant, calling it “desecrated for a beauty pageant.” They also pointed out how the “revealing bustier” of the costume offends Maya women’s conservative values. The performance was criticised for reducing this sacred ritual into entertainment.

SATIIM further said that the Deer Dance is “not theatrical” but a “community ritual,” and using it outside its proper context is seen as sacrilegious. “To mimic the dance is to mock the sacred values of an entire culture,” SATIIM said.
The Sarstoon Temash Institute also stressed that Maya people should decide what parts of their culture to share, noting that “inspiration” should not be used as an excuse for exploitation. They called for stronger protections for Maya culture and urged the creation of cultural policies and laws that reflect the values and needs of Maya communities.

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