The Ignacio Community Library kicked off its celebration of Latino-American heritage on Sept. 16, Mexican Independence Day.
Locals gathered to enjoy live music by Los Mitotitos, folklorico dancing, and a free dinner of Mexican-style foods. The evening ended with pinata bashing for the kids.
Library Director Leslee Shell said the event was to celebrate a grant the library received during the summer from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association to participate in their event, "Latino-Americans - 500 Years of History," LA 500 for short. It's to encourage people to tell their stories and honor the history and contributions of Hispanics. The Pine River Library in Bayfield also got a grant and will hold its own events.
Four libraries in Colorado got these grants, Shell told the Times.
The Ignacio library will be recording oral histories. Renee Morgan, who is working with Shell on this, said, "We want your feedback of what you want to see in the library. The grant goes through summer 2016, but we think it has potential to go beyond that through the oral history project." It's called Voices of Ignacio and is open to everyone to provide an oral history, she said. The Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum also is helping with this.
"Take this opportunity to tell your stories," Morgan said. "Otherwise it gets left up to official versions to tell what this community is." Training for project volunteers will happen this fall, with Josh Salyers from the Fort Lewis College Center for Southwest Studies oral history section and Kristine Navarro-McElhaney from Arizona State University. Recording of histories will start in the spring.
"We've already had at least two people say they want to be trained," Shell said this week. "I think we'll get much better histories if we use people from the community."
Shirena Trujillo-Long, El Centro director at Fort Lewis College and coordinator for Ballet Folklorico de Durango, also is collaborating on the oral history project.
"Is it just a month that we should be celebrating Hispanic heritage?" she asked.
Ballet Folklorico members demonstrated different styles of Mexican dance. Instructor Melissa Smith and sister Cathy Smith wore white Veracruz-style dresses and demonstrated the Veracruz style of dance with its fancy footwork and improvisation. Cathy Smith teaches in Ignacio schools and has about 36 kids at the elementary school learning basic folklorico dancing. It's a feeder program that continues all the way into Fort Lewis College, she said. Those classes are on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Other activities to celebrate Hispanic heritage include:
. Sunday, Sept. 27, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - Dr. Ruth Lambert, cultural program director for the San Juan Mountains Association, will lead an easy guided walk through the aspens in Moonlick Park to see historic tree carvings (arborglyphs) by Hispanic herders on the Pine-Piedra Stock Driveway. Space is limited. Call 385-1267 to sign up and get directions for where to meet.
.Tuesday, Oct. 13, 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the library - Screening of episode 5 of "Prejudice and Pride," an award-winning PBS documetary, followed by discussion led by Dr. Maria Samorra, Ed.D.
. Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - The Los Pueblos Unidos de Educacion Conference at Ignacio Middle School for Spanish speaking parents of students preparing for college. Trujillo-Long will lead a workshop with students that day on the theme of "I'm from..." Shell said school officials from around the area will be attending as well.
. Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to noon at the library - "The Wooden Canvas Project" lecture by Dr. Ruth Lambert.
For more information on these programs, call the library at 563-9287.
