raices

I figured out how to post pictures, thanks to my computer-whiz brother. Here is the one from Amatlan that I wanted to post two days ago:



This picture struck me very strongly at the time, and I will tell you why. Before we hiked to the spot for the ceremony, Nacho said that the hike was a form of self-sacrifice. He said that we would of course get tired, but to persevere and think about each action and step that we would take. He also asked us to pick up something along the way that we wanted to represent ourselves and what we were thinking about and offer that at the ceremony. As I was walking, I was thinking a lot about the importance of the land, plants, and traditions. And what I came to land on was roots, or in Spanish "raices." There are many reasons why roots are very important to me: the importance of family and tradition, my love for Minneapolis, grassroots organizing and the power of the people, and how much strength roots can have. So I picked a small plant along the way, inculding its roots.

When we arrived to the site, this tree was the first thing that I saw. I noticed its thick roots, and how strong they had to be to hold up the whole rock. I also thought it was a very appropriate formation to have near a sacred Nahua site with a people who are so grounded and committed to their land. Then during the ceremony, Nacho said something that echoed with everything that I had been thinking: "They can strip away our leaves, they can cut down our branches, but they can not take away our roots from the land." Roots are a source of strength, and for that reason losing land, culture, and tradition weakens a people. Nacho and his community have had to fight, fight really hard, against developers and business interests that want to buy their land and use it to make a profit. And Amatlan is one of the successful communities. So many others have been convinced by threats or small economic gain to leave their land and work in the city. This does not strengthen Mexico. Nacho speaks of NAFTA and free trade as a "reconquista," or the second conquest because again their land and culture are coming under attack and outsiders force them to change.