The last two Mondays in Oaxaca are a very special time- it is the time of the Guelaguetza.The Guelaguetza was originally a preHispanic gathering of people from all seven regions of the state of Oaxaca to converge on hill outside of this city and give thanks and offerings to the gods for the past years crops and hope for the coming year.
This tradition continues but has become more of a government sponsored,expensive tourist attraction that draws people from all over the world . Delegations are sent from the seven regions and they perform traditional dance in ropa tipica (traditional dress.)
The annual teacher's strike of 2006 escalated into a more complicated conflict.The governor of Oaxaca had been misappropriating school funds for political campaigns.The teachers were demanding his resignation.The governor retaliated by dropping tear gas bombs on the teachers in the zocalo in the middle of the night.The following eight months saw Oaxaca torn apart and human rights issues both disregarded and profoundly defended- a very complicated situation.During this time the governor canceled the 2006 Guelagetza, a dramatic blow to tourism.However, the teachers had joined forces with a newly formed group- APPO (loosely translated and interpreted: The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca- a group formed to promote popular opinion and to help the general population).From this union was born the Guelagetza Popular- an event for the people, free of charge.
Before a fiesta, it is traditional to send out a calenda, an announcement in the form of a parade,throughout the village or city. There are homemade cuetes (fireworks) that are shot into the sky as a banda de musica plays traditional songs and monos,large papier mache figures on cane frames with men inside,dance in the streets along with women in traditional dress with canastas (baskets) of flowers balanced on their heads and anyone who cares to participate.As my son was born in Oaxaca, we have a lot of family here and they offered to take me to this calenda,the Sunday before the Guelaguetza Popular.
We met with the calenda several miles outside of the city ,in a very old neighborhood called Xochimilco.There were young boys sitting on a wall
are from Zaachila, a village right outside of the city.They were tyeing on their amazing homemade stilts which they walked and danced on throughout the entire day,up and down hills,on potholed and cobblestoned streets.There were political slogans and chants as we marched through the major highway and then onto a serpentine route through town and into the zocalo.Everywhere, young and old, women and men, native and extranjero (foreigner) could be seen
in various forms of ropa typica.Various delegations danced People lined the streets,cheered,threw confetti and joined us.
It was loud,colorful, joyful and lively!
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