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My daughters and I attended an inspiring Hispanic Heritage Month presentation at our local library on Saturday.  The presenters were two local creative activists – Eutimia Cruz Montoya and Adrian Molina, a.k.a. Molina Speaks.  Montoya is “lineage-raised contemporary curandera (spiritual healer), herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, Real Foods Activist, and Food Systems Educator” — a “modern day medicine woman”.  Molina “describes himself as a Chicano/Latino/Indigenous/Mestizo Futurist” who uses poetry and hip hop lyrics to share the voice of diverse communities and a connection to the natural world.  These two powerful young artists expressed a strong love of humanity, family and the connectivity of all peoples in both traditional and contemporary stories, songs, and dances.  My daughters and I enjoyed the presentation immensely!  If you have an opportunity to experience the work of either of these individuals, I strongly recommend it!

One term that caught my attention was the positive claiming of the word “mestizo” — which both referred to as persons of mixed ethnic heritage, often both Indigenous and European.  Both my husband who is Cherokee and mostly German and my daughters (adopted through foster care) who are Mexican and Caucasian could claim this term to describe themselves.  Our country is trending toward this demographic and I believe it is a beautiful progression.  Montoya and Molina spoke of the importance of celebrating all heritages and moving toward a more inclusive future where all individuals are equally loved and respected.  That would be a beautiful world indeed.