Indigenous Cultures Institute set to present reading of new play Sunday

Today, there are over 3,500 Native American remains unearthed from Texas soil, stored in cardboard boxes, and housed in institutions throughout Texas. Despite a federal law passed in 1990 that requires institutions to begin repatriating all remains, few museums and universities have complied, continuing to hold their collections intact. This is the historical setting for “Napakō”, a new play for young audiences that chronicles the journey of two young cousins who fight for the right to rebury their ancestors. Written by the playwrights of the award-winning play “Yana Wana’s Legend of the Bluebonnet”, “Napakō” will have its first reading on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Price Center, 222 W. San Antonio St., in San Marcos. The event is funded by the City of San Marcos Arts Commission.

Maria Rocha and Roxanne Schroeder-Arce are joined as playwrights by Genevieve Schroeder-Arce, representing three generations of writers committed to authentic representation of those original bands of Coahuiltecan people who have inhabited Texas and northern Mexico for over 13,000 years.

“Napakō means ‘our journey’ in the ancient Coahuiltecan language of the original people of Texas,”  Rocha said  “It’s the story of two cousins who journey across Texas to answer the call of their ancestors.”

Prompted by a mysterious message from beyond the grave, Juan and José set out on a harrowing trip that eventually leads them to the White Shaman mural near Comstock, Texas. In those dark, cliff-recesses, overhanging the converging Pecos and Rio Grande rivers, the cousins cross over into the mystical world of their ancestors.  The ancient spirits convey the simple message — “return our bodies to Mother Earth.”

“We take our audience on an inspirational journey that leads our two heroes into a colliding confrontation against a powerful institution,” Schroeder-Arce said. “And as typical of such entities, this museum is determined to maintain their collection and never release the ancestors for reburial.”

The story is drawn from the decades of repatriation work conducted by the Miakan-Garza Band, a state legislature recognized tribe of Texas, and its nonprofit Indigenous Cultures Institute.  The tribe’s cultural preservation officer, Dr. Mario Garza, helped to establish the Comanche Cemetery located in Fort Hood where he participated in several reburials.  In 1999 elders of the tribe participated in one of the largest reburials of almost 200 Indigenous remains in the cemetery of the San Juan Mission in San Antonio. For two years the Institute worked with the City of San Marcos to establish a reburial site for ancient Native American remains unearthed in Hays County. On Sept. 6, 2016 the City of San Marcos executed a memo of understanding establishing the first Texas-city repatriation burial grounds. Since that date, the Institute and Miakan-Garza Band have reburied 11 ancestors at this site. They continue to fight for three ancestors unearthed from Hays County that are held by the University of Texas — a struggle that began in 2016.

“We teach our young people about how the ancestors are disrespected and denied the right of reburial,” Rocha said. “This play is another way to tell our story, and to keep hope alive that someday all of the ancestors will be returned to their burial homeland.”

The general public is invited to this first play reading, for audience feedback and further development. The playwrights hope to finish the play next year and then the Institute will begin production plans to tour Texas. The playwrights of “Yana Wana’s Legend of the Bluebonnet” bring you another inspiring and heart-warming Indigenous story; be the first to hear it.

Admission is free with reserved seating. To reserve a seat, send an email to ICIinfo@indigenouscultures.org, subject line: NAPAKO seats.

For more information visit Facebook.com/Indigenous.Cultures.Institute, Instagram.com/indigenouscultures.

Information provided by Indigenous Cultures Institute