Tag Archives: anthropology

Nature science journal confirms indigenous Oaxacans descend from Asia

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2012 | Comments Off on Nature science journal confirms indigenous Oaxacans descend from Asia

The roads to the Americas: ancient Native american migration patterns

nature: the international weekly journal of science, in its August 16, 2012 issue, published new findings that the Americas was populated in at least three distinct waves from Siberia across the Bering Straits beginning 15,000 years ago.  Genetic testing has confirmed this.

According to the article: 

The settlement of the Americas occurred at least 15,000 years ago by means of the Beringia land bridge that existed between Asia and America during the ice ages. Key questions about how many migrations were involved and subsequent dispersal patterns within the Americas remain unresolved. This new survey of genetic variation in Native American and Siberian populations shows that Native Americans descend from at least three waves of migration from Asia. After the initial peopling of the continent there was a southward expansion along the coast, with sequential population splits and little gene flow after divergence, particularly in South America.

Norma’s note: Indigenous peoples of Oaxaca, like the Zapotecs, Mixes and Mixtecs, are also Native Americans.  It’s fascinating to look at ancient stone carvings and paintings at Mexico’s archeological sites and see the resemblance to Asian origins.  The indigenous peoples of Oaxaca were physically isolated and have been able to maintain their native languages and traditions over the centuries, although that is changing in recent years as more people migrate away from their communities in search of jobs and more economic security.  For more about the peopling of the Americas, you can order a full nature article.  Recommended reading: 1491 by Charles Mann.

And, there are 2 spaces left in our 2012 Oaxaca Day of the Dead Photo Expedition.  We will visit the Zapotec archeological site of Monte Alban where you can see the stone carvings for yourself!

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Bonampak Archeological Site: Mayan Treasure in the Chiapas Jungle

Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2012 | 5 comments

Bonampak is at the farthest reaches of Chiapas near the Usumacinta River in the Selva Lacandon — a rainforest jungle that is almost three hours from Palenque.  It’s one of those magical places that I have dreamed of visiting but never imagined I might get to.  To get as far as Palenque and not go another three hours to Bonampak would have been a mistake.

At the Palenque archeological museum and gift shop I bought Arqueologia Mexicana magazine, Vol. X, Number 55, that features the most recent reconstruction of the Bonampak murals.  Since not all the paintings are clear and have degraded over time, archeological artists have attempted to reconstruct them using accurate colors and now infrared drawings.  The magazine discusses (in English and Spanish) past interpretations, controversies and the most current reconstruction that uses the natural plant and mineral pigmentation.

Bonampak was part of the Yaxchilan alliance and was a smaller Mayan center.  However, the discovery of the murals in the 1940’s overshadowed its more magnificent neighbor which I will write about in my next post.

  

 

It takes a special effort to get there and plenty of patience.  The tour vans leave Palenque at 6 a.m. and you don’t return until 7:30 p.m.  It’s a long day, but definitely rewarding.  I took more than 80 photographs at Bonampak and can only show you a few of them here.  Plus, there is lots of information online about the political, social and cultural history of place if you are interested in reading more.

 

 

As I mentioned in the previous post, I’d recommend staying at a lodge either at Yaxchilan or Bonampak so you have two days to enjoy these two extraordinary sites. One day is too rushed since day tours give only two hours at Yaxchilan and one hour at Bonampak. I told them we didn’t need an hour for lunch or 45 minutes for breakfast!

  

 

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Photography, Travel & Tourism

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Selva Lacandon Territory: A Chance Meeting

Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 | 6 comments

My journey into the Lacandon jungle along the Usumacinta River that is the boundary between Mexico and Guatemala began simply with a top-of-the-list visit to Na Bolom (Jaguar House) in San Cristobal de las Casas.  Here I was fascinated by Gertrude (Trudi) Duby-Blom’s descriptive black and white photos shot in the mid-1950’s of Lacondon people.  Na Bolom is dedicated to the Lacandones, who retreated deep into the rainforest to preserve their ancient practices in the face of the Spanish conquest.

The Selva Lacandon, a dense jungle rainforest, is where you will find Yaxchilan and Bonampak — two glorious and significant Mayan archeological sites.  To get there isn’t easy.  It’s three hours southeast of Palenque by van.  Palenque is five hours north of San Cristobal de las Casas IF you take a direct bus and don’t sign up for the tourist trip that stops at Agua Azul and Cascada del Misol-Ha along the way (extending the trip to eight hours one-way).  But I digress.

The day before I was set to leave for Palenque, Fay and I were on Real Guadalupe pedestrian avenue window-shopping.  I noticed an indigenous man and woman in the doorway of one of the shops who looked familiar, as if I had seen them somewhere before.  I asked the shopkeeper which indigenous group they belonged to and she said Lacandones.  I stepped into the shop and approached them with a “buenos dias.”

Carmela Chan Ak In and Cayhum Yuk Masha introduced themselves and told me that they lived in the jungle and had been friends with Trudi Blom.  I asked if I could take their photos and he agreed.  They requested and I agreed to send email copies to their nephew who has correo electronico.  As I set my lens, I realized that they may be the same people who were the primary subjects of the photos I had seen at Na Bolom and in the published books — taken at least 40 years ago. Our conversation ended with an invitation to me to visit their village.

Just yesterday, as I exited Bonampak, I met Daniel Chank In, a Lacandon native and registered eco-tourism guide who takes visitors through the jungle and arranges overnight stays.  Daniel is part of a Lacandona owned/operated eco-tourism cooperative called Jaguar Ojo Anudado certified by the Mexican Tourist Board.  He knows Carmela and Cayhum and says they live about 2 km from the ancient ruins and told me that, yes, they had been friends with the Bloms and subjects of her photography.

If you are interested in a guided visit with overnight stays (I highly recommend this, since one day to see both Yaxchilan and Bonampak are not enough), please contact Daniel at jaguarojoanudado2@yahoo.com.mx.  His website is www.jaguarojoanodado2.com.mx

Daniel introduced me to his wife, Victoria Chank In Chana Bor, his son Esteban Daniel (males wear white tunics, females wear floral tunics), and their newborn son wrapped and sleeping close to his mother’s heartbeat.

 

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Book Review — Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun by Liza Bakewell

Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2011 | 7 comments

Liza Bakewell takes us where we may never have thought to go:  Down Mexico’s dusty back roads and cobblestone alleys, across neighborhood plazas lined with madre-derrogatory grafitti, through bustling markets, in a high speed car zig-zagging the wrong way down a one-way street, in provocative conversation with wise and deferential men, sequestered on the coast of Maine deep in contemplation, in lively debate with feminists, and befuddled and amused by encounters with people at all social and economic levels, including one’s own children.

Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun is not your everyday discussion about Mexico – her culture, history, politics, women’s issues (and men’s, too), language, social structure, and how a people come to define and understand self.  Yet it includes all of this!  Bakewell’s premise is that language informs culture and vice versa.   After reading this book, I understand and agree.  It opened my eyes.  Mexico is an idiomatic maze and “madre” plunges us into the cultural and linguistic depths, revealing the mysteries and idiosyncracies of this most beloved and maligned noun.  And, this most beloved and maligned country!

Madre the book

Some have described this book as a “memoir,” and in some limited respect that is true.  Yet it is much more than that because the academic discussion (Bakewell is a professor of linguistic anthropology at Brown University) about the etymology of “madre” prevails throughout.  But the book is flavored with slang, the vernacular, curse words, and romance.  It describes her personal and professional quest to understand this most complex of Spanish nouns.  It is human, engaging and real.

Most importantly, this book is entertaining, witty, clear and insightful.  It is a must-read for anyone who is thinking about visiting Mexico or who is living there.  Understanding the culture helps one enjoy the travel, and this will definitely bring you enjoyment before or during your stay.

Bakewell examines what the word “madre” conjures up in Mexican society, and how it defines manhood and womanhood.  She takes us on a journey to explore gender roles, relationships, customs, traditions, church doctrine, and stereotypes.  The perilous journey is a metaphor, I believe, for the evolution of the word — one small, simple word now infused with powerful emotion: manhood, womanhood, honor, obedience, pride, machismo, “fight to the death,” and identity, plus all that is disparaging, insulting and base.

I love Bakewell’s discussion about the dualities and conflicts of Mexican identity and womanhood as exemplified by “The Malinche” and her alter-ego counterpart, Dona Marina.  They are one and the same woman, the first “bad and forbidden” and the second “baptized, good and pure.”  I see this drama danced out every year in the Danza de la Pluma that reenacts the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs.  Through this description, we come to understand who is the whore and who is the virgin, the themes that recur in the recesses of the language and icons hanging from every rear view mirror.

Bakewell explores the mixed messages and signals, expected behaviors, and role definitions for women and what constitutes femininity.   She describes Malinche, the translator for Cortes, and how her name became synonymous with traitor and betrayal. An indigenous woman from the southern coast of Mexico enslaved since childhood, passed from one tribal group to another, she was given to Cortes by her captors.  She was multilingual because of her circumstances.  Yet, she was redefined during the 1857 revolution as the antithesis of the good Mexican woman.  Mexican feminists are branded as Malinchistas.

Madre is about paternal creation and the power of the church to define and control.  It explores the subtle meaning of Virgin and Eve, and what constitutes purity.  The dilemma of madre in Mexico, according to Bakewell, is that the church believes the bride, once married is Eve, not the Virgin, and vulnerable to all the transgressions put before her.  Like Eve, Malinche was the mother of the first mestizo (indigenous Indian and Spanish blend), child of Cortes.  While Eve listened to the snake, Malinche listened to Cortes, betraying her people.

I imagine Liza Bakewell asked me to review this book because of my association with Oaxaca and love for Mexico.  In 2009, she spent the year there on sabbatical as a single mom with her twin daughters finishing up the manuscript in preparation for publication.  She talks about it being a warm, welcoming, safe and nurturing place for herself and her young children where she could bring her madre journey to a close.

Here, while she wrote, she also discovered that the liberal revolutionaries of 1857 – Benito Juarez, Melchor Ocampo, and Justo Sierra — politically reinterpreted what it meant to be a woman in Mexico.  In their endeavor to liberate Mexico from the stranglehold of the Catholic church they replaced one set of padres for another.

Ocampo, in his “Epistle,” defined the virtues of woman to be “self-abnegation, beauty, compassion, shrewdness and tenderness, and must give and shall always give her husband obedience, affability, attention, comfort, advice and treat him with reverence due to the person who supports and defends us.”  Ocampo’s “Epistle” became required reading at state civil marriage ceremonies  until 2007, when Mexican feminists asked individual states to replace it.  Most have, but Oaxaca has not.  The Epistle outlines perfection and impossible expectations for women to achieve.

The quest for the meaning of “Madre” was not a straight path.  Just like the taxi driver zigzagging the wrong way down a one-way street, “Madre” the book takes one turn and then another, to describe how “madre” the word came to include derogatory meanings in the Mexican Spanish language.  It caused me to sit up and take notice about our own gender slurs and how we casually use them until they become embedded in the vernacular and we are no longer conscious of the meaning.

Just as you are beginning to think that you understand, Bakewell starts a discussion about the articles “el” and “la” and “los.”  Spanish is organized by the system of la and el,” she says.  If you are confused about which article to use, consider  el amor (love), el sexo (sex), el matrimonio (marriage), el prenado (pregnancy), el embarazo (pregnancy), el parto (childbirth) and el nacimiento (birth).  Why are these words “masculine?” she asks.    A friend of Bakewell’s who studied Indo-European languages, traces it to the concern about descent lines – the patrilineage.   Culture and language are powerful padres.

Finally, Bakewell asks us to consider the origins of madre and padre.  She delves into the sounds of mmmmmm and ppppppp.   MMMMMmadre.    PPPPPPPPpadre.  She takes us to the very essence of birth, identity, survival and continuity.  She describes the mmmm sound as internal, humming, soothing, nurturing and nourishing.  Pppppppppadre is the force of spitting out, putting one’s imprimatur in the world, the first attempt at aggressiveness for what we must do to make our way as human beings.  One is internal and the other external, almost synonymous with how our bodies and reproductive organs are purposed.   She describes how the sound origins across languages and cultures are consistent.  Fascinating. Try these sounds and you’ll see what I mean.

Anyone who travels to or lives in Mexico, studies Latin American culture, history, art, Spanish language, or anything related MUST read this book.  Furthermore, there are no madre insults in Italy and very few in Columbia, Chile and Argentina.

Madre IS made in Mexico.

And, if you want to know the expletives, you’ll have to read the book!  They are plentiful.

Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun, by Liza Bakewell, W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.  ISBN 978-0-393-07642-4.  You can order the book direct from Dr. Bakewell.

 

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Posted in Books & Resources, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

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Oaxaca, Mexico Women’s Yoga Retreat

Posted on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 | 1 comment

Oaxaca Women’s Yoga Retreat with Beth Miller, July 5-11, 2011 — for beginners and all levels of yoga practice

Deepen your awareness and expand your perspective as you join us for this 6-night, 7-day retreat based in the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico.  This women-only program is perfect for mothers and daughters, sisters by birth, marriage, friendship and relationship, and any woman who wants a magical getaway to reconnect with self and others while exploring the majestic beauty of southern Mexico’s high-desert.

During the retreat we will explore the two complimentary modes of spiritual awareness — “mukti” and “bhukti.”   “Mukti,” or liberation, is the upward flowing consciousness that releases us from worries, plans, fears, fantasies, and limited identities … until we become space itself.  This is the experience of the seeker on the mountain top: transcendent and blissful.  “Bhukti,” or enjoyment, is a rooted state of fully embodied presence that allows us to take pleasure in the life of the senses. We allow ourselves to feel and become solid on the earth as the unique beings we are. We welcome the complexity of emotion and the dualities of physical existence, while cultivating the refinement of our senses. Oaxaca, with its potent sights, sounds and scents, is an ideal location in which to celebrate and explore.

Our morning practice will focus on yoga asana and movement. It will be a strong and grounding physical practice, and variations will be offered for practitioners with different levels of experience and ability. Alignment, presence, and breath consciousness will guide and anchor us.  Afternoon practices will invite play, as we explore partner yoga exercises. This will be an opportunity to observe our patterns in relationship to others and to have fun together!  Evening practice will be more restorative and will include sonic/vocal meditations and breath work.

All levels are welcome–individual consultations will be scheduled for those of you who would like feedback on your practice and yogic journey.

Additional activities are included in the cost. During the week,  a variety of additional activities planned that are included in your registration fee:  a visit to a local permaculture farm with yoga session under the palapa followed by lunch, yoga on the mountain top at the ancient archeological site of Yagul followed by a guided discussion with a renowned anthropologist, a day at the famed regional Tlacolula market (no yoga here!), and visits to local artists and artisans.

We are offering options to partake of a traditional temescal women’s sweat lodge, a one-hour Zapotec massage with a local bodyworker, study Spanish with a local teacher and to stay a day longer to immerse yourself in the local cuisine with a traditional Zapotec cooking class taught by Reyna Mendoza Ruiz.

Location is in family-centered Teotitlan del Valle. We will be here during the annual village saint’s day celebration. A highlight of this festival is the “Dance of the Feather” or “Danza de la Pluma” which is held on July 5 and July 6 in the church courtyard.  A troupe of local dancers who have practiced together during the year will re-enact the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, performing for 10-hours straight in traditional regalia.

Our bed and breakfast/retreat space is located within walking distance of the church, the village market, hiking trails, and some of the best weavers and artisans in the world.  The food is delicious and prepared fresh each day.

About Your Retreat Leaders

Beth Miller of Boulder, Colorado, is our yoga instructor who specializes in Vinyasa-Hatha yogic traditions.  She employs sonorous yoga practices as an approach to help women of all ages to give voice to their lives.  Beth is an experienced workshop leader and meditator who combines yogic practice and philosophy with creative expression through sound.  She has a background in Holistic-Health Counseling, working primarily with teen girls and young women to inspire healthy lifestyle habits.  In addition, Beth is a vocal artist, performer and teacher of Western classical and sacred music.  She holds a B.A. in music from Westminster Choir College, is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor, and completed the chef training program from the Institute for Culinary Education.

What Past Participants Say About Beth Miller:

“Beth is a wonderful and supportive teacher.”

“It was deep and delicious work in a very supportive environment.  The yoga was extremely rich.”

What a wonderful opportunity to be surrounded by such an inspiring, intelligent, centered, supportive and eclectic bunch of women.  Thank you.”

“Beth gave me tools for greater contemplation and a way to honor myself.  Excellent.”

“The community of creative women was extremely supportive and inspiring.”

“This was an amazing experience.  Beth is a beautiful, beautiful teacher.”

Norma Hawthorne has produced arts and educational programs in Oaxaca, Mexico, through Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC since 2006.  She has offered creative writing, tapestry weaving, natural dyeing, painting, documentary filmmaking, and photography workshops that have been attended by participants from throughout the U.S., Canada and from as far as Australia.  During her 25-year career in higher education, Norma has organized national award-winning continuing education programs for Indiana University, University of Virginia, and George Washington University, and has raised more than $20 million for The University of North Carolina School of Nursing.  She holds the B.A. from California State University-Northridge and the M.S. from the University of Notre Dame.

What Past Participants Say About Norma Hawthorne:

“We got tons of helpful info from Norma before the retreat, and all during the retreat Norma was busy shepherding us, explaining life in Oaxaca, and seeing that all our needs were met.”

“Norma’s knowledge of the culture as well as her generosity of spirit are remarkable.  Not replicable, I think!”

What Past Participants Say About Questions of Personal Safety

“I would say you are often as safe as you think you are and that bad media, amongst other things are only trying to feed your fears.  That safety is not a concern in Oaxaca, just to be wise, as you would anywhere and trust your gut, come well-informed and open your arms and heart to the beauty of the incredible place.”

“Not a problem.  We felt perfectly safe in Teotitlan del Valle.”

“There are some simple precautions to take regarding food, but I have always felt safe here and that the people are very helpful.”

“I would say – ‘you are missing an awesome (in the real, not slang sense of the word) experience.’ ”

“It’s a wonderful place.  I did not feel threatened in any way.  It was safe and people were kind, patient, friendly.”

“I felt more safe here than in many U.S. cities.  I saw and heard no violence, no drunkenness, no homelessness.”

Lodging/Accommodations. To keep this experience affordable, we have selected accommodations that are clean and basic.  If you prefer luxury accommodations, please consider a different program.

Cost:  The basic cost for the retreat is $1,095. USD. This includes six nights lodging double occupancy with shared bath, six breakfasts, four lunches, six dinners, local transportation associated with the retreat, and all instruction.  Most programs of this type, length and quality cost more than twice as much! The cost does NOT include airfare, taxes, gratuities, travel insurance, liquor/alcoholic beverages, some meals, entry fees, and transportation to/from the airport.

For the base price of the trip, $1,095, you will share a double room with shared bath.  Please indicate your preferences on your registration form.

Option 1: Double room with shared bath; $1,095 each. Deposit to reserve: $550.

Option 2: Double room with private bath; $1,295 each. Deposit to reserve: $650.

Option 3:  Single room with private bath;  $1,495 each.  Deposit to reserve: $750.

Option 4:  Add one night lodging on July 4, $40 each.

Option 5:  Add one night lodging on July 11, $40 each.

Option 6:  Add cooking class on July 11 with Reyna Mendoza Ruiz, $65 (includes lunch).

Option 7:  Add temescal women’s traditional evening sweat lodge, $45

Option 8:  Add on-hour traditional Zapotec massage with local bodyworker, $40

Reservations and Cancellations. A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your spot.  The final payment for the balance due (including any optional supplemental costs) shall be postmarked by May 31, 2011.  Payment may be made by check or PayPal.  We will be happy to send you an itemized invoice.

Please understand that we make lodging and transportation arrangements months in advance of the program.  Deposits or payments in full are often required by our hosts.  If cancellation is necessary, please notify us in writing by email.   After May 31, no refunds are possible; however, we will make every possible effort to fill your reserved space or you may send a substitute.  If you cancel on or before May 30, we will refund 50% of your deposit.  We strongly recommend that you take out trip cancellation, baggage, emergency evacuation and medical insurance before you begin your trip, since unforeseen circumstances are possible.

Questions and to Register:  normahawthorne@mac.com or call (919) 274-6194.

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Posted in Music, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Teotitlan del Valle, Travel & Tourism, Workshops and Retreats

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