|
Zitlala
is a charming Nahuatl town nestled in the Madre del Sur mountains of Guerrero, Mexico. The state of Guerrero, while boasting the tourist mecca of Acapulco, is also home to one of Mexico's most frequented university towns -- Chilpancingo, or "Chilpo" for short -- and a slew of diverse indigenous communities. Challenges in the Mountains Families are doing their best to stick together by maintaining their language, ceremonial traditions, and cultural identity. A proliferation of narco-trafficking occurs in these mountains, dispersing danger, fear, and the blaming of the innocent. Narco-traffickers profit from the remoteness. Who are they? I strongly believe it is not the indigenous families who are instigating. The shared goal within the indigenous communities is to be happy, not rich. While this may sound cliché and out-dated, it is the fiber with which our human spirit flourishes. Money is paper. Could it be that happiness is free? The value of tradition. Fernando Orozco Gomez is a brilliant anthropologist who has been living in the mountains of Guerrero for the past nine years. At INAH, the National Institute of Anthropology and History, he researches traditional indigenous celebrations, showing how they are the basis for most popular celebrations in present-day Mexico. He has been taken in as family at the humble, welcoming home of a very special Nahuatl family. The Villalba family is deeply rooted in Zitlala and are masters at crafting a divine chocolate nectar and an incredibly strong homemade mescal. They speak the Nahuatl language and are descendants of the mighty Aztecs. |
I'm not blaming Bart, but ... In the Villalba home there is a television. They watch the Simpsons and see Bart giddy watching Krusty the Klown, Lisa playing her new saxophone, and Homer smiling with a US brew. Naturally, it attracts. It is made to attract. This leads many youth to head north to enter the US work force and send dollars home (for more Simpsons consumption?). Many only make it to a border town, such as Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana. The dilemma faced is catastrophic. Youth often return home after a year or two and feel rejection towards their own community and customs. They move to a city like Chilpo and assimilate to hide their disgrace of falling prey to the discriminating mainstream. And so the local community is instilling pride in their youth. Teofila Villalba is a high school teacher and teaches both in Nahuatl and Spanish. Her dedication to her community and traditions inspires others to re-examine their values and re-kindle their Nahuatl souls. Some words in the Nahuatl language: Tlaxtlaui --- Thank you Nimisneki --- I love you Zitlala --- Star Tlanextili --- Good morning Chotlakili --- Good evening Kinejki tinemi? --- How are you? Qualtzin ninemi --- I am fine.
Diana tichichiu cualtzin ucuilintzitzintin pitentzitzintim |
