MEXICO CITY.- In a vibrant ceremony that underscored Mexico’s rich cultural tapestry, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo officially reopened the second floor of the National Museum of Anthropology. The newly inaugurated section, titled “Grandeur and Cultural Diversity of Mexico,” pays tribute to the girls, young women, and women of the country’s indigenous communities, highlighting their pivotal role in preserving and enriching Mexico’s heritage.
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President Sheinbaum dedicated the reopening to indigenous women, emphasizing their historical and contemporary significance. “This year, 2025, we have decided to dedicate it to indigenous women, ‘indigenous women’ as a generic term for indigenous women, because if anyone has not been recognized in history it has been women, but if anyone has not been recognized in the history of Mexico it is indigenous women,” she stated during her speech. “So we are inaugurating this second floor dedicating it, in particular, to the girls, the young women and all the women of the original towns that are what represents our homeland.”
The new section comprises five rooms and nearly 6,000 artifacts, ranging from archaeological treasures to contemporary artistic expressions. These exhibits are part of the broader Chapultepec, Nature and Culture project, which aims to celebrate and preserve Mexico’s diverse cultural landscape.
Sheinbaum highlighted that the museum’s reopening is a milestone in the country’s ongoing Fourth Transformation—a comprehensive social and political overhaul aimed at achieving greater equality and recognition for marginalized communities. “The reopening of the museum’s second floor is part of the Fourth Transformation that the country is experiencing, which currently recognizes indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities as subjects of law,” she explained. This transformation is marked by the historic reform of Article 2 of the Political Constitution, which for the first time allocates nearly 13 billion pesos directly to indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities for self-management of their budgets.
“This second floor is being reopened with great recognition to the cultures of today, to the original towns of today, to the Afro-Mexican towns of today that continue to represent the cultural grandeur of Mexico,” Sheinbaum added. She emphasized that this initiative not only enhances the museum’s exhibitions but also enshrines the rights of indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities within the nation’s legal framework.
In a significant move to bolster cultural preservation, Sheinbaum announced the integration of all matters related to the living cultures of indigenous and Afro-Mexican towns into the Ministry of Culture. “Our objective is to incorporate into the Ministry of Culture everything that has to do with living cultures, that is, what has to do with Fonart, with the Museum of Popular Cultures, what has to do with languages,” she said. This consolidation aims to streamline cultural initiatives and ensure that diverse traditions and languages are adequately supported and promoted.
Additionally, Sheinbaum revealed that starting in 2025, the Mexican government will allocate substantial resources to the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH). This funding is intended to enhance the country’s cultural grandeur by supporting research, education, and the preservation of Mexico’s anthropological and historical heritage.
Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Secretary of Culture, highlighted the significance of the National Museum of Anthropology as the most visited museum in the country, attracting 3.7 million visitors in 2024 alone. She described the second floor as a unifying space that bridges the archaeological with the ethnographic, showcasing Mexican culture from pre-Hispanic times to the present day. “They participate in this representation of what their cultures are and it is not just us or as a government, as officials, who define what their cosmovision is,” Curiel de Icaza remarked. “That is wonderful, that they have been integrated into the narrative, into the discussion, that the idea that these museums are because they speak of the past is broken; they do not speak of the past. We are these cultures, that is precisely what Mexican Humanism speaks of.”
The event was further enriched by the presence of various dignitaries and cultural figures. Clara Brugada Molina, Head of Government, lauded the modernization of the museum’s second floor, noting its global significance in safeguarding the history of Mexico’s original towns and ancestral women. Textile artisan Lucero García Hernández expressed gratitude towards the government for supporting the voices of thousands of artists, emphasizing the importance of sharing the ancestral knowledge of indigenous communities.
President Sheinbaum was accompanied by a distinguished group of officials, including the Secretary of National Defense, General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo; the Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles; and other key members of the federal government. Regional leaders such as the Governors of Guerrero and Oaxaca, Evelyn Salgado Pineda and Salomón Jara Cruz, also attended, along with traditional cooks and musicians from indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.
The reopening of the second floor is more than a mere restoration; it is a celebration of Mexico’s enduring cultural diversity and a reaffirmation of the nation’s commitment to recognizing and empowering its indigenous and Afro-Mexican populations. By integrating living cultures into the national narrative and legal framework, President Sheinbaum’s administration is fostering a more inclusive and representative cultural heritage for future generations.
As the National Museum of Anthropology continues to evolve, it stands as a testament to Mexico’s rich history and vibrant present. The dedication to indigenous women not only honors their contributions but also ensures that their stories and traditions remain an integral part of Mexico’s cultural identity. This initiative marks a significant step towards a more equitable and culturally enriched society, reflecting the true grandeur and diversity of Mexico.
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