SchoolsEstela RomeroFebruary 01, 2021

An indigenous village close to Monarch Sanctuaries

SchoolsEstela RomeroFebruary 01, 2021

THE VISIT

The Symbolic Migration was warmly welcomed last Wednesday January 27 at one of the little villages located at the back of the “Sierra Chincua” Oyamel forests, which beauty can be appreciated from the distance, as one approaches the area. The small location called “Ranchería las Rosas”, is surrounded by large corn and potato fields; these families are prominent farmers of both commodities supplying large quantities of it to big cities in central México. Our corn is high quality white, red and black corn, and our potatoes are widely known as the “Alfa” white potatoes, a delicacy speaking about potatoes. The typical little cozy homes are still keeping alive the culture and traditional living from our forefathers. “Ranchería Las Rosas” is an indigenous Mazahua village keeping still its ancestral traditions and language, even though new generations can better understand it than speak it, but schools like this, officially considered as indigenous, should have bilingual teachers born and living in the area itself, Spanish and Mazahua speakers to the students. At “El Rosario” Sanctuary and surroundings, the local living keep unfortunately no trace of our Otomí or Matlatzinca ancestral cultures, the ones supposed to have dominated that area in the not far past, and located only around 20 km away from this location we were visiting. The arrival of the Symbolic Migration was exciting from the very first moment, since both teachers, twelve mothers and the students were already awaiting to see us appearing at the main yard!. After our warm welcome, we went directly to our lesson of the season: “The Benefits of Trees”. It was only enough that Estela gave a little “hints” to the students refreshing themselves on the life cycle of Monarchs and the reason why they overwinter in our majestic forests, that children did a beautiful performance to their own moms about it. Moms were all the time rapt attention not believing their ears at hearing how unique our Oyamel forests are in the world. As moms held the satellite map of the “Vegetation of México”, they were visibly moved at seeing how exclusive our ecosystem is for Oyamel trees in our forests to grow. Deep into our lesson, we all together went over the names of our local forest trees and their characteristics, either by their leave shapes, their medicinal benefits, their darker or lighter green, their cones, and perennial or non-perennial cycle –most of ours are perennial--. Then our fruit trees; among them, the Tejocote, Zapote, and Capulín, bearing indigenous Nahuatl names. Last, the question of the day for all to participate: “What are the benefits of our trees up there in the forest?” –Estela inquired--. Children were the first ones rising their voices in chorus: “Water”!, “Oxygen”!, “Shade”!, “Birds singing every morning”!, “They are home for many animals”!... then moms continued: “A fence of trees will always protect our large fields of corn and potatoes from frost-burning”!. “They also protect our fields from hard wind-blows”, “they capture the rain-water for our crops to hold humidity”… “I will tell you a few more for you to keep in mind”, --Estela told them--. “They avoid soil erosion; they filter the rain water into our natural water wells, and huge water deposits underground; they are beneficial to pollination, so they indirectly guarantee our food; they interact with mushrooms and other plants in the forest to keep a whole life equilibrium in our region; it took hundreds of thousands of years that for mountains to get all the flora and fauna we know now; trees are even older than dinosaurs!. This and much more trees represent for human life”. –Estela concluded as one applause came from the audience, followed by a second one, a third and then the voice of grand-Mom Caritina in the audience: “we express our deep gratitude for this visit to us, to our the children, for the beautiful gifts received; we would not imagine that our children would get this additional education for free, besides a contact to children like them living in a totally different world and that those children in the North would consider us so special; we will of course take this to our homes, to our husbands and families; you have reminded us what a treasure our own land is; thank you, thank you” –she concluded with genuine emotion, before she received the poster of “Quelites” for the school, from which she could recognize most kinds giving the common name to every one”. Estela concluded the visit saying: “It is this fragile, beautiful butterfly the one speaking to us about our own future, about the assurance of our lives in our own homeland”, as she expressed her gratitude, on behalf of the Symbolic Migration for the opportunity to repeat the visit to this wonderful school, putting always a special print to project every season. Estela’s voice disappeared at the excitement of children receiving their Ambassador butterflies from the different regions where Monarchs breed every spring and summer as if they had received them for the first time in their lives!.