I am Shanaleigh Mejia, born in Belize, Central America, and raised in New York, where I explored various dance forms. I connected with my Belizean roots through Congolese African dance from Central Africa and have performed internationally with Mfouambila Kongo NYC . Since moving to Arizona in 2022, I've been on a journey to educate and share my knowledge of Congolese traditional dance and Garifuna culture.

My garment embodies the Garifuna male dance, Wanaragua (or Jankunu), performed during Christmas and New Year's. The dance playfully mocks European attire, evident in the pink metal mesh face mask with European features and the white gloves.

The Garifuna people fought against the British in the Carib Wars in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the 1700s. In the first war, the Garifuna men disguised themselves as women to defeat the British soldiers.

The scarves' colors—black, yellow, red, green, and brown—represent Africa, the Arawak Indians, blood, earth, and the Garifuna mix of Carib and African cultures.

I was initially conflicted about creating this male cultural costume since women were traditionally excluded from the Wanaragua dance. It has been a dream since childhood to perform it, and recently learning that women are now being allowed to participate, it resolved my inner conflict. Each layer I created brought me closer to my ancestors, and I feel their blessings.

Dance has been instrumental in my self-discovery, and this Cultural Threads program has encouraged me to step up and confidently share my culture. I realized I can no longer stay silent, thinking I don't know enough. Creating this cultural outfit inspired me to embrace the rebel warrior spirit within me, which is always seeking expression.