After some migration and customs glitches at Houston airport on Wednesday and no minutes to spare –plus a very funny golf cart driver who made all the difference– we made our flight to Albuquerque. We are being very kindly taken care of by former accompanier Renee and her partner John.
Don Pascual told me this morning that we have a very auspicious day on the Mayan calendar to start our tour: Ajmaq. It is a day to ask and give forgiveness (although we will not be the ones asking for forgiveness, Pascual said to me, laughing), to defend the dispossessed and for justice on earth –good principles to carry with us through the U.S. Being 13, the energy is also
very strong.
Yesterday we had our first presentations with classes at University of New Mexico and they went GREAT. A young man working at a local indigenous community school brought an arrowhead to give to Don Pascual. As a symbol of the warriors of his tribe, he brought it as a gift to represent their similar struggles.
I was very moved by this young man’s welcome to Don Pascual, who introduced himself in his indigenous language, and his gift of solidarity. Jeremy asked us to come to meet his after-school kids today for their alternative films club. As a member of the local committee on youth and children’s rights (Pascual), a local activist who will visit the school for the first time (Renee) and a former after-school director (me), we are all very excited we will be able to visit the school today!
Today we have another class and tonight will be at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center, where we will see many of the professors, local activists we’ve met at the university and at the potluck dinner at Renee and John’s house last night. We look forward to meeting more local activists as well.
Early tomorrow morning we head out to Tucson! Here are the local events:
TUCSON, AZ; FEBRUARY 13-15
FEBRUARY 13
Tierra y Libertad Organization (TYLO), 12:45-1:30
CLOSED EVENT: Meeting with TYLO and Guatemalan & Mexican students in semester program in Arizona
Southside Presbyterian Church, 6pm
317 W 23rd Street
Potluck Dinner/Community Mixer at 6pm
Presentation at 7pm, “Sharing Struggles: Guatemala and The U.S./Mexico Border”
FEBRUARY 14
KXCI, 91.3, Morning radio show to be confirmed
Listen here at: http://www.kxci.org/
Unitarian Universalist Church, 4pm
4831 East 22nd Street,
Public Presentation
Co-sponsored by the UUCT Immigrant Rights Working Group
FEBRUARY 15
O’odham VOICE against the WALL, morning
CLOSED EVENT: Visit the Tohono O’odham Nation; discussion of border patrol abuse and indigenous resistance.
University of Arizona – Tucson, 2:30pm
1401 E University Boulevard, Family & Consumer Sciences Building, Room 202
Sponsored by Latin American Studies Program & the Global Health Alliance