Tag Archives: Mexico

Warriors of the Sun

Warriors of the Sun is one of the more unique documentaries I’ve seen, not for its subject matter, which is the Totonac ritual of flying dancers, or voladores – men who climb an extremely high pole and propel themselves around it with ropes as an offering to God and a “service to the community.” Like some pow wow dancing and American Indian sports like lacrosse, many activities that may be interpreted as merely recreational have deeper spiritual significance to indigenous peoples. The voladores ritual is actually treated in a more polemical way in the short film Voladora/Flying Woman by Chloe Campero, which follows the emotional journey of a young woman trying to penetrate this all-male establishment. (I did not notice whether the dates of these two films coincided, but I think so. I would be interested in knowing more about the community’s take on the young woman’s efforts.)

No, Warriors of the Sun was intriguing because it lies somewhere between documentary and home movie – and I don’t mean that in a negative way. It is one of the rare movies where a director, in this case Bruce “Pacho” Lane, clearly inserts himself into the movie and establishes his positionality vis-a-vis the Totonac community being filmed. He has had a long relationship with the community, having filmed a previous documentary on the ritual and along the way, becoming godfather to the son of Don Salvador, who takes on the task of reviving the voladores ritual with four young men. Don Salvador takes on the task, “on the condition” that anthropologist Albert L. Wahrhaftig continue research on the topic and that Lane makes another documentary, this time on the process of revitalizing the ritual. Beyond that, Lane makes obvious his close ties to the community by naming not only the protagonists of the film, but also children of his compadres’ family, for example, or brief exchanges that other documentary filmmakers would not think to include. A pretty straight forward treatment of the subject matter, but in a more personal, and therefore interesting, way.

Another unique quality was the somewhat awkward but much appreciated explanation of the English subtitles. Subtitles in yellow font, we clearly read, are for translations from Spanish, while subtitles in white font are for Totonac. This clarification, along with references to the “Americans” and the roles of Lane and Wahrhaftig, signals the various cultures that are in communication in this film. Language is of course especially important since language loss is a concern for many indigenous communities. But beyond that, Lane’s godson makes frequent references to having previously denied his Totonac heritage and seems to be on a quest to regain it in his own life. Some of the more memorable scenes for me are when Lane’s godson and wife visit archaeological ruins and are asked to comment on their ancestors’ accomplishments. It was one of the few times I’ve seen indigenous people pictured next to their cultural heritage like that. Another memorable scene is when a priest (presumably Totanac) gives a homily from the altar and references the voladores ritual and actually names indigenous gods after which the voladores ritually dance around the alter.

This brings me back to the beginning of the film, which is actually introduced by Ivan, a high school student whose dream leads him to ask Don Salvador to teach him to be a volador. This introduction set the stage for the film in terms of its reason for being, its pace, and also reinforced the importance of dreams in indigenous culture.

Several documentaries made by indigenous filmmakers are filmed for community use and not necessarily for external consumption. Warriors of the Sun straddles the line, being both something for the community but also for English speaking audiences. It was enjoyable,  interesting, and even exciting when the young men and Don Salvador took to the skies. I think this documentary would be useful for anthropology classes discussing positionality; those interested in Totonac culture, including the importance of dreams and spirituality; cultural revitalization; intercultural exchanges and possibly, religious syncretism.

Reseña de Huichol Journeys

>> English <<

Este pasado jueves, asisti la proyección de “Huichol Journeys” en el Museo Nacional del Indígena Americano en la ciudad de Nueva York (NMAI NYC) donde Amalia Córdova, la gerente de programación del Programa Latinoameriacno del Centro de Cine y Video del NMAI, presentó las tres películas sobre el pueblo mexicano Huichol/Wixaritari. 

Yumakwaxa/The Drum Celebration es una animación hecha de arcilla por jóvenes estudiantes wixaritari en su idioma, wixárika, con subtítulos en inglés. La película demuestra cómo se da a cabo esta celebración del tambor. Aunque fue placentero, me pareció que la película se dirigía al pueblo huichol ya que no me recuerdo haber escuchado una clara definición sobre esta celebración. La clausura de la animación me pareció muy divertida  y demostro la creatividad de estos cineastas jóvenes. (Si les gusta animación y la cultura wixaritari/huichol tal vez les gustaría la siguiente animation.)

Flores en el desierto es un documental bello sobre el pueblo wixaritari de San José que emprenden una peregrinación al espacio sagrado llamado Wirikuta para encontrar peyote. Durante la charla que siguió la proyección, un señor que asistió dijo que se había sentido transportado por la película, como si la cámera se había desvanecido. Uno de los organizadores de la noche, Carlos Gutierrez de Cinema Tropical, le contestó indicando que el director de fotografía, Pedro González Rubio (cineasta de Toro Negro y Alamar), suele hacer esto.Los comentarios me sorprendieron un poco porque a pesar de la hermosa cinematografía, estuve muy conciente de la cámera no tanto en un sentido técnico si no mas bien en el sentido en que interpreté a la película, puesto que los miembros de la comunidad preguntaban cómo se debería llamar la película, que se tenía que incluir y tambien decían que la película era para su porvenir. Todos estos detalles me dieron a entender que el cineasta consultó con la comunidad para asegurar que la película compaginaba con su imágen de si mismos. Córdova dijo que los cineastas indígenas latinoamericanos suelen trabajar en colectiva y suelen buscar entrenamiento como en cinematografía despues de haber trabajado en algun proyecto. Algunas partes de Flores en el desierto fueron grabadas por la comunidad. Uno se puede dar cuenta de esto porque en una escena, alguien le está capacitando a una persona. Tambien, hay escenas que se ven mas pequeñas y tienen un color distinto al resto de la película que mas bien parece que fue grabado en los años 70.  Pensé que esto era por el uso de cámera de video o por falta de capacitación pero en realidad estas escenas fueron tambien bonitas y pienso que tal vez fueron hechas a propásito para evocar la idea de la memoria colectiva compartida entre los miembros de la comunidad. Que bueno que Córdova prognostico que no le sorprendería si estos pasos indican la germinación de una colectiva huichol.

El tema principal de Flores en el desierto fue la religión y la espiritualidad. En la película, se ve el sacrifico de un cordero, un toro y un benado que son actos dirigidos a establecer un balance en el mundo huichol.1 En la película se abre la posibilidad de un diálogo sobre la dificultad de practicar la religión indígena dado la dificultad de cazar a benados, que son sagradas para los huichol, en tierras ajenas y tambien el estigma del uso de peyote. Cuando una mujer hace una comparación entre la Biblia y el peyote, dando cuenta que el peyote ayuda al pueblo obtener sabiduría ancestral me recordé de una escena en la película The Border Crossed Us, cuando un jóven tambien compara como son vistas las religiones indígenas y occidentales. En Flores del desierto se ve que los huichol comen el peyote solamente despues de confesarse ya que de otra forma, esta planta les puede hacer mal. La espiritualidad asociada con el sacrificio tambien es manifiesto cuando una esposa dice que ella está en ayunas cuando su esposo caza benado porque ella sabe cuán dificil es el cazar a benados.

El documental In Defense of Wirikuta and the Sierra de Catorce trata sobre una compañía minera canadiense que está operando ilegalmente en Wirikuta, pese a que el gobierno lo ha prohibido desde 1994. Durante la charla, Jennifer Weston (Hunkpapa Lakota) de Cultural Survival dijo que a pedido de los huicholes, Cultural Survival inició  una campaña para protestar a la minería en este espacio sagrado. Las cortes han hecho un mandato para que no sigan la minería.

Otro tema sobresaliente durante la charla fue la revitalización de los idiomas indígenas. Alguien dijo que le gustó escuchar el idioma Wixárika pero se preocupo cuando uno de los niños huichol cantó una canción entera en español porque tal vez indica que está perdiendo su idioma ancestral. La respuesta de Córdova dio a lucir los matices de este tema puesto que aunque la pérdida de los idiomas indígenas es real, al mismo tiempo algunos pueblos indígenas pasan dificultades por no saber o no tener oportunidades de aprender el español. Gutierrez fue optimista sobre el futuro de la revitalización de los idiomas indígenas despues de un paseo a México donde vio varios comerciales para las elecciones que están a pundo de darse en varios idiomas indígenas. Weston dijo que en México, las cortes proveen interpretadores en 18 idiomas indígenas! Otra persona en la audiencia que trabaja con junventud mixteca y de otros pueblos mexicanos que han inmigrado al Bronx dijo que estos niños atraviesan la dificultad de aprender dos idiomas colonizadores: el español para poder hablar con sus compatriotas mexicanos y el inglés para poder existir en los EEUU. Este proceso tambien a complicado cómo ellos se identifican . Tanto Hortensia Colorado of Coatlicue Theater Company (quien reconocí por un evento que organizé en 1997) como Weston dijeron que muchos pierden su idioma por la vergüenza que les han hecho sentir por hablar su idioma y han tenido que aprender sus idiomas nuevamente. Weston aconsejó al hombre del Bronx que incentiva a los jóvenes que vivan sus culturas a través de sus idiomas y no solamente como traducciones del inglés. Esta charla nos quedó al pelo ya que el NMAI NYC va a proyeccionar películas sobre idiomas indígenas el 31 de mayo y el 1ro de junio (no veo información sobre las películas ahorita pero en cuanto las vea, les he de avisar).

(Por otro lado, en la charla me enteré de otras películas que pueden ser de interés: una rarámuri llamada Cochochi  y otra maori llamada Boy de Nueva Zelandia, que acaban de mencionar en el New York Times.)

Flowers of the Desert director José Alvarez’s new award-winning documentary entitled Canícula about the Totonac people.

Huichol Journeys Recap

On Thursday, I attended the NMAI NYC’s Huichol Journeys screening which featured three films by and about the Huichol/Wixaritari.  Amalia Córdova, Latin American Program Manager at the Film and Video Center of the NMAI, presented the films.

Yumakwaxa/The Drum Celebration is a claymation made by young Wixaritari students in their native language, Wixárika, with English subtitles. The film documents how this celebration is carried out. While anyone can enjoy the animation, it seemed possibly geared toward Huichol viewers since I don’t remember the purpose of the celebration being clearly described. And although the animation was very nicely done, I was even more impressed by the humor and sophistication the students displayed during the animation’s closing credits. (If you are interested in animation and Wixaritari/Huichol culture, you may also enjoy this animation I posted a while back which I appreciated even more after the benefit of having watched the three films screened on Thursday.)

Flores en el desierto (Flowers of the Desert) is a beautifully shot documentary about the Wixaritari of the town of San José who make a pilgrimage to the sacred space called Wirikuta in order to hunt for peyote. During the Q&A discussion after the film, one audience member commented that he felt  transported into the film, as if the camera had disappeared. One of the screening organizers, Carlos Gutierrez of Cinema Tropical, responded by praising the film’s director of photography, Pedro González Rubio (who directed the films Toro Negro and Alamar), who has a real talent for allowing the viewer to feel like an insider. This discussion was interesting to me because, although I, too, felt transported by the beautiful cinematography, I was also very conscious of the camera. I was mostly conscious of it not on a technical level, but on an interpretive one. At several points in the film, community members ask what the film should be called, what should be included in it, and they also note that the film is for their children – all indicating that they were actively consulted on how they were portrayed. Noting that indigenous Latin American filmmakers tend to work as collectives and that they seek training after actual experiences working on a film set, Córdova noted that a Huichol collective may not be far off. That said, certain sequences in the film are clearly shot by the community members. I say “clearly” because you hear them being instructed in how to record footage and the footage itself is shot in a different size frame and in a grainy way with a color scheme that is reminiscent of 1970s photography. At first I thought this may have been due to the use of a video camera or lack of training, but these shots were beautiful in their own way, and possibly used to evoke shared memory among the community members.

The film’s main theme was Huichol religion and spirituality. Flowers in the Desert included animal sacrifice and explained how it is used to establish balance in the Huichol world (a lamb, bull, and deer are sacrificed in this movie).1 The hunt for peyote and deer in particular, which are sacred to the Huichol, was contextualized by noting the complications which the community encounters as a result of hunting in other people’s property and their use of rifles and peyote. I was reminded of a scene in The Border Crossed Us, when a young man makes a strong comparison between how native and western religions are perceived, when a woman compares peyote to the bible, noting that eating it helps the Huichol gain wisdom and learn about their history. In fact, community members must confess before eating it because it may make them sick otherwise. And, a wife notes that she fasts while her husband hunts deer as a sacrifice because she knows the difficulty involved in the hunt.

The activist documentary In Defense of Wirikuta and the Sierra de Catorce deals with a Canadian mining company that is trespassing into Wirikuta despite the fact that the government has officially protected it since 1994. During the Q&A, Jennifer Weston (Hunkpapa Lakota) of Cultural Survival said that  at the Huichol’s request, Cultural Survival initated a Global Response Campaign Alert so that the public could protest the mining and ask that this sacred space be protected. There is currently a court injunction against the mining.

Another strong theme during the Q&A was the revitalization of native languages. One audience member noted that she was pleased to be able to hear the Wixárika language spoken but concerned that one of the Huichol children sang an entire song in Spanish might indicate a loss of native language. Córdova provided the necessary context and nuance in her reply, indicating that while loss of native language fluency is an issue, there are also areas where indigenous people feel disenfranchised by not knowing or being able to learn Spanish, which allows them to get by in the world. Commenting on the future of native languages, Gutierrez noted with optimism that last week in Mexico, he saw television ads in several different native languages. Weston noted that in Mexico, court interpretation is provided in 18 different languages. Another audience member who works with Mixtec children as well as children from other Mexican indigenous communities who currently live in the Bronx said that these children experience the added difficulty of having to learn two colonial languages: Spanish in order to communicate with fellow Mexicans and then English to exist here in the U.S. This process has led to difficulty with self identification. Both Hortensia Colorado of Coatlicue Theater Company (who I recognized in the audience from an event I put together way back in 1997) and Weston noted that many people lose their language as a result of the historical shame they were made to feel when speaking their native tongue and have later had to re-learn it. Weston’s advice to the man from the Bronx was that he encourage the children to live their cultures through their languages and not via translation from English. This discussion on language was very timely as the NMAI in NYC will host several language-related screenings on May 31 and June 1 (I don’t see them on their calendar but when I do, I will post the information here)..

(On a side note, I also learned about other films and events that I look forward to checking out: one is the Rarámuri film Cochochi and the other is the Maori film Boy from New Zealand, recently reviewed in the New York Times.)

1 Cuando Córdova nos avisó que veríamos sacrificios de animales, me puse a pensar en la delicadez de conversar sobre los temas de religión, cultura y los derechos animales especialmente cuando se trata de etnias minoritarias que han perdido tanto durante el proceso traumatizante de la colonialización. / This is somewhat off topic, but when Córdova let the audience know that the film contained animal sacrifice, I started to think of the complexity of commenting on the intersecting issues of religion, culture and animal rights, especially in regard to ethnic minorities which have already been made to lose so much as a result of colonization.

Huichol Journeys at NMAI NYC 3/29 & 3/31

Tomorrow and Saturday, the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City will host a film screening called Huichol Journeys, which will include two documentaries and an animation about the Huichol, or Wixaritari of Mexico. Thursday’s screenings will be followed by a discussion with Carlos Gutiérrez of CinemaTropical and Jennifer Weston of Cultural Survival. The NMAI in NYC is located at 1 Bowling Green  New York, NY 10004. Admission is free!

The Plymouth Rock of the South

The title of Rachel Nez’s 2005 documentary, The Border Crossed Us, is the phrase used in chants and on signs at immigration rallies. Given that Native Americans were here before any other group in the U.S. or Mexico, this poignant phrase was never more true. I’ve added this clip here because the phrase always reminds me of the similar African American immigration experience, as expressed by Malcolm X’s when he noted, “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. The Rock was landed on us.

Amid the dominant national voices surrounding the immigration debate, you may have missed that of the Native American groups affected by border policies. In the past few months, Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 has caused renewed interest and ire surrounding this issue. However, many groups, like the Tohono O’odhman of Arizona and the Sonora Desert region of Mexico, have had to endure the injustice of immigration policies for many, many years. In the 2005 documentary The Border Crossed Us, Navajo filmmaker Rachel Nez explores Tohono O’odham efforts to change laws that hinder many of the (particularly older) tribal members who do not have paperwork to travel freely between the U.S. and Mexico. In order to do so, they must prove that they are indeed U.S. citizens or, in the case of Tohono O’odham Mexicans, have documentation to visit the U.S. The Tohono O’odham have not traditionally used documentation to prove their citizenship and therefore cannot prove their status. Therefore, in many cases, relatives across the border cannot visit with each other or practice traditional rituals and customs.

The documentary is short but useful for anyone discussing immigration issues as they relate to Native peoples as well as how native religion and customs are viewed by outsiders. In one especially moving moment in the film, a young man discusses how disrespectful border agents are when going through his grandfather’s religious objects. The young man asks how we would feel if someone started rifling through the Pope’s items. Although this did not have to do with immigration per se, I thought the young man’s succinct questioning would be a great starting point for a classroom discussion on respecting other groups’ value systems and ways. This part made the film especially memorable to me.

When I first saw this film at the NMAI Native American Film Festival in New York City back in (I believe) 2007, I asked Ms. Nez about the status of the bill discussed in the film (yes, I actually did stand up for Q&A for once). She said that it was too soon to tell. A few years later, I see that the Tohono O’odham continue to fight against these policies, including recently leading a contingent against S.B. 1070 March.

Huichol: El Viaje Místico

A Facebook friend posted this animation called Huichol: El Viaje Místico made by  Francisco Ortuña Silva on her page. It has some cool graphics and nice, upbeat music (which actually reminded me more of the music in the Scissor Dance in Peru) so I thought I’d share.

The Huichol are a Mexican ethnic group who identify as the Wixaritari or Wizarika amongst themselves (which made me wonder if the creator is non- native or just chose to use the term Huichol since it’s the more broadly recognized term). The animation is about a man’s colorful vision after taking what appears to be peyote. Included in this vision are various natural elements and animals, including a man who looks like a deer, which is closely associated with peyote and a sacred animal for the Wixaritari. It reminded me of an ayahuasca ceremony in Ecuador.

Sueños binacionales / Bi-National Dreams

Español abajo.

Sueños binacionales / Bi-national Dreams, directed by Yolanda Cruz, deals with the experience of two Mexican indigenous groups in the United States. The first part of the documentary focuses on the Mixtec.  One of the largest indigenous groups in Mexico, the Mixtec and have been traveling to the Fresno area for over 30 years. Two charismatic community leaders discuss how the Mixtec have rallied around social issues and how their effective communication and organization has helped them reach out to immigrants from various Mixtec towns who have settled in the Fresno area. Community members who are featured show a strong commitment to maintaining ties to their communities in Mexico, endeavoring, it seems, to live the film title’s bi-national dream.

The second part of the documentary is less upbeat and perhaps that is why it is more gripping. It focuses on the Chatino, one of the smallest indigenous groups in Mexico. Chatino immigration to North Carolina is more recent, having occurred largely in the past 10 years.

While the Mixtec portion of the video was in Spanish, large parts of the second version is spoken in Chatino which I liked because you do not always get to hear native languages spoken. Although westerners tend to focus on the practicality of acquiring or knowing a language, there is something to the idea that a language’s sound transmits not only communication but also energy. I am reminded of the Mapuche speaker on the indigenous panel in March who began his talk by playing a music instrument and saying how it was important to allow the audience to feel that vibration. An Otavalo friend (noticing that I would use my elementary Kichwa) once commented on the importance of hearing a language’s sounds.

The Chatino story was not as sanguine as the Mixtec one. About half the population of the town (I rewound the tape but don’t remember seeing it noted in the film) where the Chatino were concentrated had migrated, giving the impression that those migrants will not return, at least not on a permanent basis. One hotel worker in North Carolina says as much. Another community member in Mexico, who speaks Chatino with pride, noted that not everyone is carrying on the Chatino language. Also, one of the community members in Mexico notes how the money earned while Chatinos travel to the United States could be better spent. Although his tone is pretty somber (since no one seems to be taking him up on the idea), he offers a very good plan of action for how the community could become more self sufficient. I wonder if the video circulated among community members and anyone listened?

I thought this film was great the first time I saw it. I still think it is a great example of the heterogeneity of Latino immigration to the United States and of indigenous groups even within a single nation. It could be used for classes on immigration, identity and community organization.

My only small gripe is that I wish the video had more background information on the indigenous groups both in Mexico and those who traveled to the United States. My second viewing of the video was related to an exhibit I am working on about the changing patterns of Latin American and Caribbean immigration to the United States. I am specifically writing a section on Latin American indigenous immigrants. It would be nice to have had more figures or statistics on the communities. It would have also been interesting to see the dynamics between Chatino, Mixtec and mestizo Mexican immigrants and even between them and Americans. That would probably have been another film but I mention it because I am curious about those dyanmics as well. But this aside, it’s a very interesting film and I look forward to seeing Cruz’s other films. For more information on her work, including acquiring a copy of  Sueños binacionales / Bi-natinoal Dreams, visit Petate Productions.

Sueños binacionales / Bi-national Dreams, un video por la videoasta Yolanda Cruz, se enfoca en las experiencias de dos grupos indígenas mexicanos que han inmigrado a los EEUU. La primera parte del documental se enfoca en la comunidad mixteca. Son uno de los grupos indígenas mas grandes de Mexico y han inmigrado a la region de California conocida como Fresno por mas de 30 años. Dos miembros de la comunicad hablan acerca de cómo la comunidad mixteca se ha organizado al rededor de temas sociales y cómo sus redes de comunicación intercomunitarias les ha permitido comunicar con miembros de otros pueblos mixtecas en la área de Fresno y en Mexico. Los líderes que son entrevistados demuestran un fuerto compromiso con sus comunidades en los EEUU y en Mexico y parece que están logrando el sueño binacional del título del video.

La seguna parte del documental no es tan optímista pero tal vez por ese motivo, fue hasta mas interesante para mi. Se trata de la comunidad chatino, uno de los grupos indígenas mas pequeños de Mexico. Empezaron a inmigrar al estado estadounidense de North Carolina en los últimos diez años.

Aunque esta parte del documental esta en español, una gran parte de esta sección está en el idioma chatino. Me gusto este detallo porque no siempre se tiene la oportunidad de oir idiomas indígenas ya que se privilegia el español o inglés (me doy cuenta de la ironía ya que está sección en español esta debajo de la sección en inglés. En mi caso no es por etnocentricidad ? norteamericana sino porque hablo mejor en inglés que español). Aunque la gente blanca o mestiza suele enfatizar el aspecto práctico de la adquisición de un idioma, creo que es verdad que  el sónido de un idioma trasnmite energía. Me acuerdo del señor mapuche que hablo durante el panel en marzo que empezó su charla tocando un instrumento diciendo que es importante que el público oiga esa vibración. Un amigo otavalo (notando que a veces utilizo el kichwa básico que conozco) una vez hizo el comentario que los sónidos y tal vez las vibraciones del idioma son importantes oir tambien.

La parte chatino no fue tan optimista como la seccion mixteca. Mitad del pueblo chatino (retrocedí el DVD pero no pude encontrar el nombre del pueblo) han inmigrado a los EEUU. Esto da la impresión que los inmigrantes no van a regresar a Mexico, al menos no permanentemente. Una trabajadora de hotel dice que le sería difícil regresar a México. Otro miembro de la comunidad que vive en México que conversa orgullosamente en chatino hace el comentario que no todos están manteniendo el idioma chatino.

No he traducido la siguente parte todavía…

Also, one of the community members in Mexico notes how the money earned while Chatinos travel to the United States could be better spent. Although his tone is pretty somber (since no one seems to be taking him up on the idea), he offers a very good plan of action for how the community could become more self sufficient. I wonder if the video circulated among community members and anyone listened?

I thought this film was great the first time I saw it. I still think it is a great example of the heterogeneity of Latino immigration to the United States and of indigenous groups even within a single nation. It could be used for classes on immigration, identity and community organization.

My only small gripe is that I wish the video had more background information on the indigenous groups both in Mexico and those who traveled to the United States. My second viewing of the video was related to an exhibit I am working on about the changing patterns of Latin American and Caribbean immigration to the United States. I am specifically writing a section on Latin American indigenous immigrants. It would be nice to have had more figures or statistics on the communities. It would have also been interesting to see the dynamics between Chatino, Mixtec and mestizo Mexican immigrants and even between them and Americans. That would probably have been another film but I mention it because I am curious about those dyanmics as well. But this aside, it’s a very interesting film and I look forward to seeing Cruz’s other films. For more information on her work, including acquiring a copy of  Sueños binacionales / Bi-natinoal Dreams, visit Petate Productions.