The Indigenous Cultures Institute, based in San Marcos held its 11th Indigenous Arts Summer Encounter from June 19 - 24 at Cuauhtemoc Hall. The annual encounter brings together youth, artists and community members of San Marcos for a week-long ceremonial experience. Local students participated in daily activities that included the history, culture, arts and traditions of the indigenous people of our area. Students learned the creation story, about food justice and engaged in visual arts, music, dance, writing and cooking/nutrition activities that tied into teachings of indigenous foodways and wellness. Students were also introduced to the Coahuiltecan language which was spoken by our indigenous ancestors who lived and thrived in this area for over 13,000 years.
The Summer Encounter is fundamental to the Indigenous Cultures Institute because it fulfills the mission of preserving the cultures of the Native Americans indigenous to Texas and northern Mexico while maintaining covenant to sacred sites. Throughout one week, the young students receive an intensive education in Indigenous ways.
“Within the history of colonization in Texas, our indigenous identity was stolen from us,” said Bobbie Garza-Hernandez of the Indigenous Cultures Institute. “We were forced to take on our slave masters’ Spanish names, learn Spanish and forget our language, take on Christianity and leave behind our spiritual belief systems, and give up our lands. When the United States took over, we had nothing to trade for federal tribal recognition as U.S. indigenous tribes/ nations, and eventually became detribalized individuals mislabeled ‘Hispanic.’
