Sara Curruchich, a Guatemalan singer and songwriter of Mayan Kaqchikel origin, an activist in defense of the rights of women and the indigenous peoples of Guatemala, will give a workshop focused on indigenous issues of the Americas.
This informal gathering will be for UVA students and the general community so that they can interact personally with Sara in an environment reminiscent of a native circle. Lunch will be available for the workshop participants.
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Teresa Pollak, a citizen of the Monacan Nation, will offer a “Welcome to Country” and a land acknowledgment in a small ceremony outside the Harrison/Small building at the beginning of the gathering.
Inside in the Auditorium of the Harrison Institute, the room will be set up to provide the ambience of an indigenous gathering circle in a way that negates the present auditorium feel of a colonizer lecture hall. A central inner circle for the featured guests will be surrounded by another circle of chairs inviting the audience to join the conversation. In the inner circle Teresa Pollak (the Monacan Nation), Kody W Grant , UVA tribal liaison, (Pueblo of Isleta and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Federico Cuatlacuatl, UVA assistant professor (Indigenous artist born in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico) Sara Curruchich (Kaqchikel) and Eleanor Unsworth (WINGS Guatemala) as the facilitator will be seated.
A central inner circle for the featured ones will be surrounded by another circle of chairs inviting the audience to join the conversation.
Everybody will speak in their own words and Sara will contribute with her own music. We will welcome questions in English, Spanish, and Kaqchikel. Class groups, people from the community and individual students are welcome.
If you would like to participate, please email:
mav4n at virginia.edu
