Indigenous Art Mixer to Preserve Sacred Sites & Medicines!

211 Park Street,New Haven CT 06511

30 March, 2023

Description

This donation-based art fundraiser is in honor of Wixárika Elders’ visions to preserve their annual pilgrimage and the sacred site of Wirikuta in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Proceeds will go to the Indigenous artists and Wirikuta Preservation Project campaigns. $5-20 suggested donation. Opportunities to donate at the door and throughout the event will be available. No one turned away for lack of funds. LOCATION: Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale (211 Park Street). Next door to Gryphon’s Pub. Street parking. Look for greeters at the door and head to the Banquet Room. 5PM-5:15PM: DOORS OPEN Meet n' Greet & Silent Auction Sign-Up (Enter to Win Anh Life African Healing Herb Bundle) 5:15PM-5:30PM: OPENING REMARKS Land Acknowledgement Blessings by Priest Enroue (Yoruba) 5:30-6PM: KEYNOTE "The Bobo Land Preservation Project & Protecting Indigenous Medicines in Africa," by Dogon Kemetic Priest Naba Iritah Shenmira (Anh Life Natural Healing; Earth Center) 6PM-6:30PM: ART! DANCE! MINGLE! ~BIPOC Beats by Adi Kumar (student DJ who usually performs "conscious hip hop") 6:30PM-7PM: KEYNOTE “The Wirikuta Preservation Project & Sustaining Traditional Bio-Cultural Pilgrimage in Mexico,” by Wixárika Mara'akame Don Efrén Bautista Parra (San Jose Ceremonial Center at San Andres-Cohamiata) 7PM-7:30PM: ART! DANCE! MINGLE! ~BIPOC Beats 7:30PM-8PM: Q&A – with Speakers & Organizers 8PM-8:30PM: ART! DANCE! MINGLE! ~BIPOC Beats ~Collect your contacts! Throughout Event: Wixárika Art Exhibition & Sales: Yarn Paintings, Chakira Beadwork Sculptures, & Jewelry Coffee/Tea, Desert, Food, & Drink Service – free/donation-based Open to the General Public – We especially look forward to meeting environmental & spiritual activists, researchers in adjacent fields, and allied org. representatives! Don Efrén Bautista Parra: Don Efrén is an Indigenous Mexican Wixárika ("Wee-raw-ree-kah") Elder "jicarero" (hee-kar–rer-ro) a type of “shaman"/knowledge-keeper) charged with spiritual and governmental duties on behalf of Wixárika tribal members. He was governor of the tribe in 2012, during the campaign to block mining concessions from taking effect in Wirikuta. A jicarero is a traditional spiritual and community leader of the Wixaritari people. There are up to 30 kinds of jicareros, each position consisting of a 5-year commitment. Don Efrén has become part of the "Mara'akate" (plural of "singer"-jicareros)--one of the most revered positions usually reached after an extensive jicarero career. As a Mara'akame (singular), Don Efrén is responsible for dreaming and visioning decisions on behalf of San Andres-Cohamiata community, the largest of tribally organized Wixárika clan settlements. Don Efrén will be accompanied by cultural advocates and language translators Santiago A. González and Estrella V. Castillo (Yale HSHM '26). Santiago is a social worker amongst the Wixaritari for nearly eleven years, liaison for Wixárika Elders, Treasurer of the Ceremonial Center of Tunuwame, and the Director of Tribal Relations for the nonprofit Goodness Sake INC. With a focus on the early mid-twentieth century peyote diaspora and biomedical interest in Indigenous medicines, Estrella researches the intersection of North American Indigenous land praxes, medicine, and religious movements in diaspora and under law from within environmental anthropology, Science and Technology Studies, history of medicine, and religious studies. This event follows a co-lecture at the Life Worth Living (HUMS 411) plenary on "Indigenous Visions" between Don Efrén, Santiago, and Estrella. The Last of the Peyote Guardians: https://huicholesfilm.com/en/ 》 Watch the trailer or the whole film of this heartening documentary featuring our guest's community in a previous land resilience project—likewise propelled by traditional cosmovision and cosmogony in relation to traditional territories. Naba Iritah Shenmira: The Earth Center is a spiritual organization founded by Dogon priests of the long line of Kemetic Naba family lineage with the mission to foster humanity’s connection to its indigenous past while promoting human values and respect for all existents and natural healing methods. Today, the Dogon live in many countries in West Africa and many continue practicing their traditional Indigenous Kemetic religion and knowledge practices. The Bobo land effort is located in western Burkina Faso, the home to many medicinal herbs, sacred sites, and natural healing resources that are under threat by industrialization. Your Hosts & Sponsors: Wirikuta Preservation Project Life Worth Living at Yale Center for Faith & Culture BIPOC Grad Collective at Yale Humanities in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, a new student organization committed to fostering and celebrating ethnic and racial diversity at Yale. Learn about diversity initiatives at Yale GSAS HERE. Afro-American Cultural Center Anh Life Natural Healing Earth Center Please spread the word!