[This Column of the Americas article by Roberto Rodriguez is titled "A Simple Guide to Anti-Assimilation." The writer can be reached at Xcolumn@aol.com. Copyright 2005, Column of the Americas]

Before the Zapatistas, there was the Mayan Defense League. It’s goal was similar, but they did not resort to the use of arms. They also had a different modus operandi.

They were created for the expressed purpose of defending Indigenous culture. And their services were in constant demand in America’s urban jungles - called upon to help de-toxify a person who had undergone assimilation American style.

Assimilation was gauged by several factors, including loss of culture and language, change of last name, but number one was the eating of white bread.

When a person was observed eating it, that was the final step. There was no recourse but to call in the Mayan Defense League.

The anti-dote: the force-feeding of corn tortillas.

Ha. Ha. Sure, this is a joke… actually, it was part of a 1980s era production of the theater group Latins Anonymous. It was a satirical piece created by four actors because actors of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Central and South American origin could not get jobs in Hollywood or New York unless they played the stereotypical roles of bandits and “loose or hot women.”

It was a different era. It was a time when George Lopez was an upstart comic doing humor in his trademark pompadour hairdo. It was also the time when filmmaker Jesus Trevino had rhetorically asked Hollywood if there were to be no bronze faces in the future? (He hadn’t seen any on Star Trek).

I remembered all this recently because an Indigenous summit at the end of last year called upon Indigenous peoples throughout the continent to rise up in a state of cultural rebellion. (Armed rebellions have usually resulted in the genocide of Indigenous peoples).

On that day, I joined the uprising: I ate a tlaxcalli or rather, several corn tortillas. I also ate some chile, beans, avocado and cactus and some atole and chocolate. To be truthful, that’s what I normally eat and drink most everyday. I don’t eat these foods for cultural reasons; I eat them because I’ve been eating them all my life and because they taste good.

This call for a cultural uprising made me think of an elder at Nahuatl University in Ocotepec, Morelos. There, she addressed a group of Mexican American teachers who had come to learn Nahuatl language and philosophy. She reminded them: ”Many of you have lost your original [indigenous] languages, your culture and your ways, but don’t for one second doubt that you are Indigenous. If you ever do, eat a tortilla.”

It’s also what made me think of the Mayan Defense League.

Even when culture is under all-out attack, there’s still time for humor. In fact, tortillas may not simply be an anti-dote to assimilation, they may also may function as cultural therapy.

… They may force us to become monolinguals, they may try and force us all to wear blue or green-eyed contacts or subject us to watch blondes 24 hours a day on TV (And here I’m just talking about Spanish-language television)… but the one thing they can’t do is force-feed us their bland food…

This is why the cultural revolution will triumph.

The battle in this case, is between Indigenous foods vs. the corporatization of the world’s food supply. And despite the dominance of McDonald’s worldwide, there’s little doubt that Indigenous foods from the Americas will eventually triumph over the red-headed clown - the modern equivalence of cultural imperialism.

It’s not simply because the food is better-tasting but also for reasons of health. Organic Indigenous foods (more than 60 percent of the world’s foods originate in the Americas), are the natural antidote to diabetes, obesity & heart disease. They’re also the natural antidote to greed, globalization… and assimilation.

Yes, this is humor, but the truth is, we indeed are what we eat… and in this sense, what we eat has to be considered as part of that cultural and political insurrection. Incidentally, the basic diet of Mexicans is an Indigenous diet - it is thousands of years old - corn, beans & squash (the Three Sisters), plus chile.

Little wonder that millions of us have been in a state of constant rebellion since 1492, particularly now that aside from toxic pesticides in our foods, a greater potential danger to humans now comes from genetically modified foods.

I wonder if the Mayan Defense League pays visits to super markets? Organic Indigenous foods or else?

[ This Column of the Americas article by Patrisia Rodriguez is titled, Patzin: La Katrina and Marigolds. The writer can be reached at: XColumn@aol.com © 2005. Column of the Americas. ]

These are the nights and days of La Katrina & marigolds. La Katrina is one of the Mexican popular names for death, and the marigold is her flor de muerto, the “death flower” that actually celebrates life. Lady Death is often depicted with a flower in her Victorian hat and a bustled dress. The marigolds’ Nahuatl name - cempoalxuchitl - is recorded in the amoxtlis or pre-Columbian books (also known as codices). Cempoalxuchitl, or cempoalxochitl, means 20-flower and is related to the sacred count of 20 in ritual pre-Columbian calendars. Marigolds grace altars and burial sites and marigold petals are strewn around altars from Oct. 28-Nov. 2 in ancient rituals that honor the spirit world. The spirits return, enticed by the smells of cempoalxuchitl and their favorite foods - from tamales to chocolates - that are made in ritual offerings.

The Day of the Dead is not a Mexican or indigenous version of Halloween. They have nothing to do with each other. Day of the Dead is about life and about death… about how we honor and how we remember the dead. Day of the Dead ceremonies were once part of a 20-day cycle that also recognized that the earth was about to go into repose. While many people are now familiar with the public altars and offerings, and the colorful “marigold parades” or processions and other community celebrations, ancient indigenous traditions continue complex ceremonies in Mexico and the United States rarely seen by the public. In fact, the celebration has now virtually achieved total mainstream acceptance.

While many indigenous cultures in North America do not follow Day of the Dead ceremonies, there does exist ceremonies that honor people in the spirit world, and the Northern relations are often invited to join in the pre-Columbian ceremonies. Day of the Dead has been internationally recognized as part of a world heritage, and no traditional observance of it is complete without cempoalxuchitl. I can’t help but wonder about the significance of names and the irony that this deadly hurricane carried the name of Katrina. As we mourn what Lady Death delivered to Louisiana, I offer these marigold recipes in honor of the dead. In keeping with the indigenous tradition of triple meaning, the marigolds, which are offered to the spirits, also represent the sun. They are used in ceremonies, spiritual rites and medicinal remedies. All of the marigold plant can be used medicinally in teas, baths, tinctures, soaps and creams. The “Aztec marigold” or Tagetes erecta (a relative of calendula) heals afflictions of the skin, wounds, yeast imbalances, infertility and ulcers. It also helps with digestive disorders and is said to calm the spirit and balance body temperature. It is a hot plant and can induce sweating and its root, says partera/ midwife, Dona Emilia of San Luis Potosi, can heal frio en la matriz. It is high in phosphorous.

A standard dosage of one teaspoon of marigold to one cup water is administered for one to two cups a day. And as a cultural recipe, let us offer flowers and song to remember that despite death and repose, the sun also rises. This year’s Dia de los Muertos Column is done in memory of: Don Nicolas, Don Felipe, Tio Sigfredo, Lalo Guerrero, Luis Alberto, the victims of the hurricanes, earthquakes, the tsunami, and all the current wars.

Indigenous People’s Day (formerly Columbus Day) was declared by the United Nations in 1992 as part of the Decade of the Indigenous People’s of the World and 500 years of survival and resistance to cultural genocide and colonization. Indigenous Alliance is a collaborative effort of individuals and organizations. This group operates with the principle that all Indigenous/ Indígena people are connected/related - without regard to “borders”. It is a grassroots committee organizing to have a progressive, educational and entertaining Indigenous People’s Day celebration. On Sunday October 9th, 2005 they will hold a memorial walk; Remembering Those That Have Walked Before Us.

Indigenous Alliance invites everyone to participate in the Santa Barbara, California walk. Meet at 9:00 AM at Rocky Nook Park, (right above Santa Barbara Mission) where the walk will stop at significant locations such as the Santa Barbara Mission, and the “Presidio,” to finally end at the Dolphin Fountain at Sterns Wharf. With each stop, there will be speakers that address the historical inaccuracies, sacrifices of our ancestors. Starting at 12 noon we begin a celebration at La Casa De La Raza, located at 601 East Montecito St Santa Barbara, CA. 93101. Join us with with good food, traditional dancing, contemporary music and speakers with a progressive message about diversity, responsibility and peace. Mark your calendars! Join us in celebration on Sunday, October 9th 2005!

Named by the Aztecs and long celebrated by Mexican artists, writers and poets, the volcanoes Popocatepetl (poh-poh-ka-teh-peh-tuhl) and Iztacihuatl (is-tah-see-whah-tuhl) stand guard over the valley of Mexico - forming one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. In the nahuatl language, Popocatepetl means Smoking Mountain, while Iztacihuatl means Sleeping Woman. Ancient Aztec lore tells of a time when Tenochitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, was at war with a neighboring tribe. The empire’s most valiant warrior, Popocatepetl, fell in love with a princess named Xochiquetzal. Deeply in love, the two would marry upon the return of Popocatepetl from battle. The invincible warrior went off to war, but after failing to return for months, Xochiquetzal believed her beloved was slain on the battlefield - lovesick, she drank a potion that put her into a deep sleep.

Soon thereafter Popocatepetl returned victorious from battle, only to be told by the emperor that the princess lay still, her body resting in a temple. The teary eyed Aztec knight took his seemingly dead lover in his arms, and carried her outside of the city and into the high mountains. There he cried and wailed over the lifeless body of his dearest until the Gods took pity over his suffering and sent a deep blanket of snow to cover the two lovers. The pair were transformed into the great volcanoes that look down upon the valley. Since that sad day, Popocatepetl has been waiting for his Sleeping Woman to awaken from her endless sleep, and people say that when Popocatepetl volcano erupts… it’s really the valiant warrior’s passionate heart keeping his true love warm.

On July 31st, 2005, Popocatepetl erupted twice… the moderate eruptions sending a huge column of hot ash a mile and a half into the air, which later rained down upon parts of southern Mexico City.

This July 30th in Baldwin Park, Califas, Danza Cuauhtemoc will be celebrating a Fiesta del Maiz related to the Aztec goddess of corn, Xilonen (she-lon-en). Named after the golden hair-like tassels found on unshuked corn, Xilonen is also the goddess of food and produce, and by extension - fertility. The powerful goddess is also the wife of Tezcatlipoca (tehs-cah-tlee-poh-cah), the sorcerer god of night who sees all in his smoking mirror of obsidian… hence his name, Lord of the Smoking Mirror. This year’s Xilonen ceremony will be cause for much dance, prayer, and blessing of foods, giving strength and vision to the people of corn. Everyone is encouraged to come and participate in the ceremony. Danza Cuauhtemoc is especially aware of the attempts by the racists of “Save Our State” to desecrate the statue, Danza Indigenas, created by Chicana artist Judy Baca for the city of Baldwin Park - so this year’s Xilonen ceremony will also help revitalize the spiritual power necessary to resist those out to destroy indigenous culture. The ceremony will be held from 11 to 5 pm., in the city of Baldwin Park - Saturday, July 30th, in Morgan Park (click here for directions). For more information, check the Danza Cuauhtemoc webpage.