Poor Magazine/PNN

Arte, Colores y el Hijo de Pancho Villa/Art, Color and Pancho Villa's son

Editors Note: Ernesto Nava Villa passed onto his spirit journey last week... so we have re-posted this piece from October honoring Don Ernesto

The community gathers to celebrate ethnic studies 40th year anniversary at Corazon Del Pueblo in East Oakland

Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia/PNN
Sunday, October 11, 2009;

The blessings began the moment i walked in the magical path winding me through ropa y colores, jugetes y arte - each calavera whispered to me about rios and tierras stolen, remembered and dreamed about by indigenous peoples across pacha mama.

I was led into the palace of art y musica y ceremonia known as Corazon del Pueblo- House of the Heart- by mi hermana in struggle and resistance, fellow welfareQUEEN, Vivian Hain. "You have to come tiny," her eyes shown as she spoke about coming to the store, a special kind of shine, Women, mamaz, revolutionarias, listen to each other when we see that kind of shine in each others eyes, because we know that our companeras have seen the light, the light of resistance, hope and power for our silenced peoples that we all seek on the daily.

As i walked down the path - color flew at me. I had been wondering lately where my mama dee was hanging out. My mama dee, an African-Boricua- Taina- resistance fighter who passed onto her spirit journey in March of 2006. As i followed the colors, i knew.

"We are here to celebrate the ribbon cutting of this beautiful space, we are here to celebrate our mothers, our children, our ancestors, we are here to celebrate Ethnic Studies 40 Years Later: Race Resistance and Relevance being held at San Francisco State University this week." Dorinda Moreno, life-long revolutionary, poet, teacher, mama and grandmother who had been one of the original folks leading the fight for ethnic studies at SFSU, led the circle of blessings through a ribbon cutting at a new room in the back of the store dedicated to Danza Azteca classes and other events in the beautiful store owned and operated by another powerful mama and teacher, Josefina Lopez.

Elders and speakers, ninas and babies filled the space with more color and music and then when i truly thought i had seen and felt everything to feed and care-give my soul, when i thought i had tasted every gift pacha mama and the ancestors had to give me today, the room became silent. People spoke in hushed tones, with a look of disbelief in their eyes,"That's pancho villa's son, Ernesto Nava, that's him, he is here!"

An elder wearing an old-skool sobrero de vacuero walked down the magical path where all light and color and cloth and sculpture dwelled. People whispered, "he is 92 years old". As he stepped through the small entrance he looked up and before i could say anything he shook my outstretched hand, "Mucho gusto," I whispered through a breath of awe. His eyes shone with dreams still being done and work still being worked. �

Other members of our POOR Magazine family were celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day and the deKKKolinzing of KKKillerolumbus at Berkeley's Pow Wow so in the middle of a serenade by mujeres mariachis myself and Vivian stepped out of the magical space back into a slightly brighter, slightly richer International Blvd, determined to come back as many times as we could, to keep dreams being dreamed, art made and ancestors properly honored.

To take your own tour and create your own magic go to Corazon Del Pueblo at 4814 International Blvd in Oakland. or call 510-532-6733

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Arte, Colores y el Hijo de Pancho Villa/Art, Color and Pancho Villa's son