Congreso 2022
Unlike the physical places and objects of tangible heritage, intangible heritage is composed of the arts, music, foodways, stories, spiritual or religious practices, among many other expressions of traditions, that are passed on from generation to generation. This panel presents three pivotal traditions that sustain individuals and communities: music, foodways, and the religious traditions of the San Francisco Morada.
Facilitator:
Josephine Talamantez, Chicano Park, Barrio Logan, San Diego, CA
Speakers:
Dr. David (Dabi) García, Cultural Anthropologist, Musician, New Mexico Acequia Association
Dr. Maribel Álvarez, University of Arizona
Hon. Gabrielle Aragón, former City Councilwoman, San Luis, CO
Josephine S. Talamantez (Chicana/Yaqui) is an Organizational Management, Public Policy and Governmental Relations consultant with a specialization in Arts, History and Cultural Public Programming, Historic Preservation, Cultural Resource Management and Public History. Founder and Board Chair—Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center (CPMCC www.chicanoparkmuseum.com) San Diego, CA; Former Chief of Programs/ Legislative Liaison, California Arts Council, a State agency; Executive Director, La Raza/Galeria Posada-Sac, CA and Centro Cultural de la Raza-San Diego—nonprofit arts organizations, CA; Past executive board member, National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC); and Founding member of Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC) a national organization. She has served as an Advisor to the California Office of Historic Preservation for the development of the Ca. Latino American Theme Study and Multiple Property Registration Form (MPRF.) Co-founder—Chicano Park & Chicano Park Steering Committee (CPSC), and member of the Royal Chicano Air force (RCAF). She authored Chicano Park and the Chicano Park Monumental Mural’s successful National Register nomination and co-authored its National Landmark nomination. In addition, she serves on Barrio Logan Planning Group, Barrio Logan Association/Maintenance Assessment District, Air Pollution Control District Portside Communities Steering Committee, appointed to Mayor Todd Gloria’s Latinx Advisory Committee and was inducted to the California Women’s Museum, San Diego’s Women’s Hall of Fame. She has a Master degree in History focusing on the Chicano civil rights era and on public history programming.
David (Dabi) García, Ph.D. (They/Elle) I am a cultural anthropologist, a graduate of UT Austin and a community musician from El Guache New Mexico who reflects on the public spaces and cultural movements related to land based knowledges in the US Mexico Borderlands. My first job at the age 15 was as a peón de la acequia, cleaning the acequia canal with other laborers and today they continue this work as an advocate for acequias with the New Mexico Acequia Association. In addition, I have accompanied the ritual dance drama of Los Matachines de Alcalde for the last 25 years playing the violin. I see music and the arts as a vehicle to participate and promote community engagement in the NM acequia movement. I have a forthcoming recording of New Mexico folk music in collaboration with Dr. Brenda Romero titled Café y Atole in April of this year.
Dr. Maribel Álvarez is executive director of the Southwest Folk Alliance and a trustee of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, where she has written and lectured about food, heritage, nonprofits, cultural policy, artisans, and stereotypes. Also, an anthropologist, Maribel has documented the practices of more than a dozen of the country’s leading emerging artistic organizations and she has done research as a Fulbright Fellow in Mexico. In addition, she is an associate research professor in the School of Anthropology and a public folklorist at the Southwest Center, both at the University of Arizona.
Hon. Gabrielle V. Aragón, an eighth generation Coloradan, is a descendant of the San Luis Valley pioneers, like her grandmother Juanita Taylor, and her great grandfather, Agustín, Hermano Mayor of the San Francisco Morada. She began serving her community in the political arena at the age of 18 and made her mark in history as the Youngest Elected Official in the state of Colorado, representing the “Oldest Town in Colorado.” At age 19 Gabrielle was appointed President of the San Luis Planning and Zoning Commission, where she drafted the town’s first Comprehensive Plan, and worked to pass and adopt the first Land Use Code since 1985, which included protections for acequias, and other cultural and historical landmarks. On City Council Gabrielle developed jobs for youth, and sponsored leadership programs like the Move Mountains Project for youth to invest in their community by becoming leaders of today. She organized community forums, fund-raising efforts, and wrote grants to help lay the foundation for a park and recreation area in San Luis. Gabrielle and her colleagues brought in new development of affordable “green homes” to give people an opportunity to be new homeowners.