PRESIDIO — People of La Junta for Preservation celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day by hosting a week’s worth of knowledge sharing workshops in Presidio.
They began the week with a plant therapy workshop led by Beto De Leon (Lipan Apache and Xicano), exploring the Indigenous medicinal uses of native plants of the Big Bend region. Attendees participated in discussions and techniques on sustainable foraging, medicine making, and community gardening.
Events continue with Christina Hernandez (Lipan Apache) leading a four-day workshop on La Junta-style pottery. Participants are mixing their own clay and taking part in a traditional pit firing.
“Teaching the people of La Junta the lost art of pottery making with native clays and traditional techniques is a vital way to reconnect to cultural traditions and ancestral knowledge,” Hernandez said. “This practice not only preserves the unique artistic methods passed down through generations but also strengthens connection to the land by utilizing locally-sourced, natural materials.”
Later this week fifth-grade students will get a chance to learn directly from artists Yosdy Valdivia and Ramon Deanda about two murals in Presidio with Indigenous themes.
“Discovering and reclaiming familiar traditions — pottery, weaving, cooking and native medicines — offers a holistic approach to honoring and preserving cultural legacy,” Hernandez said.
These workshops were envisioned by elders Roberto Lujan and Xoxi Nayapiltzin, as well as Christina Hernandez, Koyana Nakaya Flotte and Elvira Hermosillo. These events are supported by the Mellon Foundation.
