In observance of Indigenous People’s Day, on Oct. 8 Indigenous People’s of the Coastal Bend (IPCB) celebrated an event with the reading of the Corpus Christi’s proclamation, speaking on a current federal lawsuit against Enbridge Oil Export Terminal, and lastly a dance from the Mexican Indigenous danzantes, the Spanish word meaning dancer, from the group Kalpulli Ehekatl Papalotzin.
To start off the event, co- founder of IPCB, Love Sanchez, read off the City of Corpus Christi proclamation dedicating the second Monday of October as Indigenous People’s Day.
“We honor the Karankawa, Lipan/Apache … any extinct tribes and other tribes that are acknowledged by the United Nations … pursuant to the powers vested in me, that’s the mayor, I am not the mayor, of the City of Corpus Christi, I do hereby proclaim, the second Monday of October ‘Indigenous People’s Day’ in Corpus Christi, Texas, and encourage all citizens to observe this day,” said Sanchez in the reading of the proclamation.
Sanchez randomly chose from the crowd a youth and elder attendee with a copy of the proclamation as a memento of the event.
For the last copy, Sanchez chose one of the Kalpulli dancers, Dorothy Pena.
“I am part of the Ehekatl Papalotzin group. We are working very hard to reclaim some spaces that were taken… We encourage other people to join and be a part of the reclamation with us… Remember what it’s like to have a reciprocal relationship with this planet and all our relatives … We’re part of a bigger loop of existence. Its vital for us to reconnect with all our relations and remember were part, not separate, from that,” Pena said.
Peter Moore, history professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, has been working with the IPCB with multiple projects.
According to Moore, from Portland to North Shore, along the coast, were many Indigenous sites. Due to industrial development, most of the sacred locations have been wiped out.
“Down Ennis Joslin, as you get closer to the bay, there was an ancient cemetery dated back almost 3,000 years… Indigenous people who lived near the area buried their dead there which is now called Cayo del Oso… This area is the second largest Indigenous grave site in the State,” said Moore, who teaches Indigenous history.
Hans Suter Park, otherwise known as a sacred area for the original habitants of the Karankawa tribe, was chosen for the celebration of Indigenous culture through dance.
In contrast to Indigenous Peoples Day, the dance group Kalpulli’s began with the opening of the four corners started with East, West, North and South.
The Kalpulli Ehekatl Papalotzin is a tribe from Mexico City which means “Venerable Butterfly of the Wind.” Their affiliation with the IPCB has been one that unites all Indigenous peoples.
Kalpulli dancer Melissa Zamora assists with the opening of the four directions as sage fumigates the area.
Assisting Zamora, dancer Adalberto Zanes blows into a seashell while another Kalpulli dancer, Arturo Lima, walks in support.
