The Heart of Lake Atitlan - Tata Pedro Cruz (1948 - 2021)

Like / Subscribe / Share @wisdom.keepers On the fifth anniversary of his passing (June 25th 2021), I am moved to share this short film publicly. It is an introduction to one of the greatest elders I have had the great honor of meeting and filming — Tata Pedro Cruz. When the world locked down in 2020, I found myself living on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala — and I discovered I had been connected, through the sacred fire, to a man everyone called Tata Pedro. What began as a few weeks of filming became three years of my life. This is a short introduction to the man I came to know as a teacher, a grandfather, and, at the very end, close family. To his community, "Tata Pedro" was so much more than a name. He was a traditional Mayan Ajq'ij and Day Keeper, one of the principal authorities of the Council of Mayan Elders of Lake Atitlán, and had been given the title K'U'XYA — Heart of the Lake Atitlán — by his fellow elders and the Tz'utujil people. He was the interpreter of dreams for his community, a leader in preserving Mayan day-keeping and fire ceremonies, and a globally recognized elder who traveled far and wide sharing this knowledge. He believed, without hesitation, in the interconnectedness of all people, in the expanding consciousness of our planet, and in the urgent need to unify our spiritual, cultural, and ethnic wisdom for the good of humanity. I didn't come to know Tata through any of these titles, though. I came to know him through the lockdown years I spent living on Lake Atitlán, working closely with him, his family, and his community — an honor I still don't fully know how to measure. I watched him live everything he taught. He didn't just speak of unity and wisdom; he carried it, quietly and completely, in the way he moved through each day and how he engaged with each person and moment. In early 2021, Tata was diagnosed with cancer. Early on, he asked me to keep filming — to document his transition, whatever it held. I moved into his family's home. I helped care for him. And I filmed his journey to the other side, embedded with the family and community who loved and respected him deeply. He passed away on June 25th, 2021. The loss to his family, his community, and to the Tz'utujil tradition cannot be overstated — and I feel it still. This short film was the first interview I ever filmed and made with him: a great master who walked with truth and integrity, a tower of his tradition who kept the ancestral fire lit and reignited it for his Tz'utujil community, all while carrying the Mayan tradition to the wider world. I have three years of footage from my time in the Mayan heartland of Lake Atitlán with Tata and his community. My intention is to complete this project, sharing his teachings as he invited me to do, by creating a story of his life — through his passing, and how his spirit is maintained by his family, his children, grandchildren, and spiritual community. If you are not yet a member of our Seekers Community on Patreon, and find value in this work, please consider joining as a Seeker on Patreon to access our full library of over 50 films and interviews, online wisdom keeper gatherings, podcasts, and much more. Wisdom Keepers is independent, without sponsors or advertisement. I rely on your participation to continue this work. Your membership is what makes this happen. Visit: patreon.com/wisdom_keepers (Link in Bio With gratitude to all of our pledging seekers, patrons, and supporters and of course the Cruz Family and Tz'utuijl community of San Pedro La Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala. Jeremy Whelehan