The Follow Up...l: Zapoteco Community of Madera Celebrate Religious and Cultural Event

By: Jose E. Chavez

El Comite Popular del Pueblo Coatecas Altas (COPPCA) of Madera, California presented for the second time La Fiesta del Pueblo this past December 26, at the Madera District Fairgrounds. The Zapoteco festivity was joined by hundreds of Zapoteco community members across the State of California including families who travel from Woodburn, Oregon. La Fiesta del Pueblo served as an opportunity for the migrant farm workers who travel from regions to regions in search of farm work, to encounter with relatives and close friends as they enjoy watching each activity of La Fiesta. This is part of an ongoing effort by the organizers to help promote the indigenous culture, and tradition practices among the younger generations, such as the language. According to an survey done by the the organizer during the festivity, more than then 95% of Zapoteco population in Madera do speak their native language. Also the other objective set by the organizers is to help to preserved the Zappoteco traditions. New features was inaugurated to this year's La Fiesta del Pueblo. The new activities include the Zapoteco Basketball Tournament, Zapoteco of the Year and the presentation of Tepache-an organic drink prepared by community members with ingredients obtained from Coatecas Altas. More than 1,500 attended the Fiesta del Pueblo 2010.

The Fiesta take one whole year to be organize. Active members of COPPCA gather once a week to do the planning tasks. Each members of the committee have a assigned tittle, among them are membership, artistic, promotional, historian coordinators and the board act as chairpersons which include a president, secretary, vice-president and a treasury. The planning process is part of learning opportunity for all members of the committee, most of the members have never participated in any similar environmental. Decision are made with concensusly and the public in general were invited to attend any of the planning meetings.

By: Jose E. Chavez

La Fiesta del Pueblo 2010 was inaugurated on December 18, 2010 at McNally Park in Madera, California as the players launched the ball in the baskeball court. For the first time in history of Zapoteco community in Madera, the COPPCA take pride on presenting such a unique opportunity for the community to gather and compete for the Zapoteco Cup. The event was coordinated in a jointly collaboration with the City of Madera.

By: Jose E. Chavez

The Zapoteco women contribute their support to La Fiesta by preparing the tasty Mole Zapoteco. About twenty woman gather to help prepare the necessary ingredients to give authentic flavor to the mole. Indigenous way was put into practice to prepare the mole. As we can see on this picture, they used a Comal to toast the chilis. The rain intervation did not stop this dedicated Zapotecos to finish at midnight.

By: Gerardo Lorenz

Also for the second time the La Fiesta feature the forty mile run starting from Fresno to Madera. The run symbolizes for the Zapoteco community as a way to ask permission to the Native People of the Central Valley to be here, as well to quest permission as they celebrate their traditions practices in the American's Native land, so, that in Oaxaca the Zapotecos would claim the government to do the samething with them, when dealing with their lands and natural resources affairs. More than 25 youths joined the marathon, among them were 15 youths from the Zapoteco community, including two woman. The activity was a jointly collaboration with COPPCA and with Peace and Dignity Journey of Fresno. The main coordinator for the event was Hector Cerda a student from Fresno State, who have done number of similar run across California. He invited the Choinumni's representative to do the open spiritual ceremony at the statue of Benito Juarez Garcia an ex-president of Mexico and the only president from the Zapoteco community to become president of Mexico since then. The run begin right after the ceremony and runners made their way to the skirt of Fresno and then to the vineyard fields as they headed to Madera. The Marathon open La Fiesta del Pueblo by presenting the staff to the organizinb committee.

By: Jaime Hernandez Pacheco

A Catholic mass was celebrated in the Saint Joachim church of Madera, so, that the Zapoteco community would attend to expand their Catholic faith beliefs. The mass was celebrated by father Carlos Ezquivel who advised the pilgrims during the mass the important of maitaining a solid family, december 26 is the Dia de La Sagrada Familia. At the end of the mass, on outside of the church hot atole with pan dulce was served to all ateendees, and Banda Hoz de Cuevas performed the Mexican Mañanitas to St. John and the Madrinas dance with community members. After this activities all people transfer to Madera Fairground where the rest of the program would take place, including the participation of eight Coatecans music groups who sing traditional Chilenas, also the participation of four folkloric groups including local Grupo Folklorico Cultural Se'esavi.

By: Jose E. Chavez

The door at Madera Fraigrounds was open at 4:00pm by then hundreds of Zapoteco are being line up to get in the entrance doors. The register volunteer were busy, registering people as they arrived. The committee decided to have all participants to be registered to help developed a database of the Zapoteco community in case of natural disaster emergency. The registration part was leaded by Minerva Mendoza from the American-Experience Club, a group of academic youths in Madera. Each participants needed to answer general contact question on a paper slip before getting in. No entrance fee was charge, the event as a whole was free to the public.

By 5:00PM the Madera's Hatfield Hall start getting packed with families who eagerly waiting on the line to visit the St. John mobile sanctuary, where they drop their Guelaguetza's of candles, fresh flowers, and donations. This is the faith part of the La Fiesta, families thanks St. Joachim for all their achieving for this year and also for good health. After dropping their Guelaguetza, they then transfer to the dinner room to be served with a plate of Mole Zapoteco.

By: Jaime Hernandez Pacheco

The organizer prepared a program full of surprises. The local Ballet Sierra Morena of Madera was the first dancers to present one of the folkloric dances of the night. They begin with Jalisco and Jarabe Tapatio which made many of the presents to both applaud and flash their digital cameras at the end of the dance. The Banda Hoz de Cuevas performed some of the Sones y Jarabes (Tunes) authentic of the Central Region of Oaxaca, which put many to dance with their partner, particularly, the Marmotas, which was borrow from state allied organizations from San Jose, California. The Marmotas are made from bamboo stick (Carrizo) and it presented during the Calenda of any special event in Coatecas.

By: Jose E. Chavez

As I am writing this article, I received a call from a Paisano (people from the same town) who is coming with a caravan with other paisanos from Santa Maria, California to visit the St. John. Families through out the year make visit as well as the committee who is in charge of maintaining a candle light on all the time.

By: Jose E. Chavez

El Comite Poupular del Pueblo Coatecas Altas also took this opportunity to recognize the person of the year from Coatecas Altas. This first time recognition went to Angela Vasquez Santiago, who is a blind young woman but this disability does not prevent her of continuing educating herself for a higher education. Angela, has to overcome many challenges to be able to remain in a normal school, such as by learning the Braille system to be able to read and write. Angela, is now a trilingual person, she speak Zapoteco, Spanish and English.

This is how the Zapoteco community in Madera celebrated for the second annual their Fiesta. Smiles and an ongoing conversation among Coatecans about the festivity is now flourishing. If you're interested to find more about this committee please send an e-mail at coatecasaltas@live.com. Para informacion en español por favor de visitar la red http://www.oaxacalifornia.com/ en donde el periodista Gerardo Lorenz recupilo uno de los mementos mas importante sobre La Fiesta del Pueblo 2010.