Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Faced with the need to retain the rich culture of the various indigenous groups that live in and around Puerto Vallarta, DIF President Candelaria Tovar de Dávalos presided over a traditional rituals and narratives encounter on February 21, the International Day of the Mother Tongue.

The meeting was held at the Puerto Vallarta Institute of Culture on the Rio Cuale, where attendees learned more about the Tzotzil, Triqui and Nahuatl ethnic groups' language, values, traditions and knowledge.

During the formal ceremony, the first lady stressed that the DIF family works to continue fostering the importance of preserving the indigenous culture, opening spaces where they can express themselves and share their culture and traditions with others.

"In our country at least 68 indigenous languages are spoken and there is a growing risk of their disappearance. Therefore, as a society we must not only recognize and appreciate the cultural and linguistic diversity that we have, but also, as indigenous people, must share and instill in the new generations a love for their roots, the roots of all of us," Candelaria Tovar de Dávalos said.

Those attending the meeting were able to enjoy the traditional dance of the Tlalocan group and the stories narrated by Yasmin Díaz López, from the Tzoltzil community; Yolanda Cruz Bautista, of the Triqui; and Agustina Lázaro Ignacio, of the Nahuatl, in their respective ethnic languages, which were then translated into Spanish.

Accompanying the president of the DIF System on this festive occassion were city councilor Norma Joya Carrillo; the head of the Vallarta Institute of Culture, Marina de los Santos; the director of the DIF System, Brenda González Cárdenas; the coordinator of Indigenous Groups, Aurora de la Riva, as well as representatives of the different ethnic groups and the general public.