Mindahi Bastida
on Biocultural Heritage and Divine Remembrance of Our Ancestors
“We are just a reflection of the Sacred.”
In the Otomi-Toltec tradition, names are not given lightly. They carry presence, purpose, prophecy.
To be named Mindahi, “the One who comes with the Wind”, is to be born in communion with a sacred force. The wind is movement, memory, a spiritual messenger calling people together. It carries prayers, intentions, and stories across generations.
Mindahi Bastida carries the wind with great honour, not only in name, but in essence. A ritual ceremony officer and convener of The Earth Elders, he is the Caretaker of the Philosophy and Traditions of the Otomi-Toltec Peoples and General Coordinator of the Otomi-Toltec Regional Council in Mexico.
Through his teachings, he invites us into a deeper reverence for life, and a return to our original humanity: “We are all related to some element or animal,” he says gently. “Life on Earth is possible only through the presence of the four sacred elements: fire, water, air, and earth. All beings are reflections of the elements. They live within us, just as we live within them. Life is the interrelated energy projected in the material, mental and spiritual dimensions.”
Original Nations see no separation between nature and culture. They are not distinct. They are kin. What many call biodiversity, Mindahi calls Biocultural Heritage. “There is no culture without biodiversity. They are intertwined; it is all a coming together.”
His work carries the wisdom of ancient prophecy, "The Eagle and the Condor", that speaks of a long-foreseen division in humanity. The Eagle represents the mind, the masculine and industrial power, while the Condor symbolises the heart, the intuition, the feminine. For centuries, these two flew apart. In the next 500-year cycle, a new possibility brings hope: the Eagle and the Condor will fly together again. Mindahi believes that time is now: “We are living in Pachakuti, a sacred chaos that precedes a great rebalancing. In this time of cultural forgetting and spiritual disconnection, there is also a great opening: a chance to heal, to reconcile, and co-create a new way of being.” Harmony that unlocks the potential for society to evolve towards flourishing.
To Mindahi, the prophecy is a call to restore reciprocity and remember our shared covenant with life: “Father Sky is crying. Mother Earth is crying. But still, they hold so much love for us. We must listen. It is not about willingness anymore. It is about responsibility.”
In his book, “Ancestors”, he invites us to rediscover our ancestral legacy: “The consciousness of our ancestors is interwoven through the web of time and space. We are the synthesis of all that has ever existed in the universe.”
Read Mindahi Bastida’s answers for Inspirators and walk in reverence and responsibility with the Earth and your ancestors.
Thank you, Mindahi, for being an Earth Elder!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Mindahi Bastida
Company / Institution: The Earth Elders
Title: Founder/Convener
Website: www.theearthelders.org
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindahi-bastida-21423713/
Country of origin: Mexico
Country you currently live in: Mexico
Your definition of Regeneration: Giving back to Mother Earth what she gives us so abundantly!
Main business challenge you face: Lack of funding for the original peoples’ self-determination.
Main driver that keeps you going: The love and reciprocity for Mother Earth.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Co-responsability.
The trait you most value in others: Reciprocity.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Intercultural dialogue; dance, music, biocultural diversity and collective action.
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
My ancestors, especially my grandfathers and grandmothers, the river, the mountains, the volcano and other beings of the natural world.
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey: Take into consideration ancestral wisdom and the presence of representatives of original peoples.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you: Natural resources, development, nature-based solutions and the green economy.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: Talk to your elders and the sage elders of original peoples.
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
· Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
· Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt
· The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance by Gors Hill
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again: Aluna; The Salt of the Earth.
Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently: NDN Collective Podcasts, Native Seed Pod, Indigenous Action, The Earth Elders, Grounded.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: The ancestral music of Mexico, popular music of Mexico and the world.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: The Copper Canyon, the Sumidero Canyon, the Rocky Mountains!
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
· Tiokasin Ghosthorse
· My daughter, Xiye Bastida
· Chief Ninawa of the Huni Kuin
Events we should attend / Best places for networking (online or offline):
COP on Climate Change and Biodiversity (on the sidelines), UNGA (sidelines), UN Permanent Forum, among others.
Impactful and relevant Sustainable Development or Regeneration courses or certifications: Regenesis Training, University of the Forest (Huni Kuin), Advaya - Sacred Sites.
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: We are protecting life in our territories at the local, regional and worldwide levels.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: Most people don't want to take action and responsibility for the care of life.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Collective action, love for the care of life, beautiful thinking.
The Inspirator(s) you are endorsing for a future edition:
· Xiye Bastida
· Julia Jackson
The quote that inspires you:
"The time is now."
Your quote that will inspire us:
"Unity in the diversity!"
