This is a remake of a piece from 2019 for a 30 Days of Indigenous Art challenge
This is my small way to honor and reclaim my P’urhrépecha ancestry. So many feels but getting to this point has come with lots of unlearning anti-indigenous sentiments that are a huge part of mexican culture/society (as well as antiblackness of course).
This was for the ‘ceremony’ prompt, and it illustrates the ceremony to renovate the Ch’upiri Jimbaŋi (New Fire), with which the P’urhépecha people start Juchári Uéxurhini (kind of like a P’urhepecha New Year). It’s an occasion to bring to memory near and far ancestors, with roots in:
– Juchári Ánchekuarhikua (Our Work),
– Juchári Kaxúmbekua (Our communal honor)
– Juchári Jakájkukua (Our cosmovision) &
– Juchári P’urhéjkukua (Our Warrior Spirit)
It’s celebrated from the 26th of January to February 2nd. Before colonization, it was celebrated as a rite to ask for guidance to direct war and expand territory for the god Kurhíkuaeri. It was not been celebrated since it was first forbidden in 1530 by spanish colonizers, and not officially reclaimed by P’urhépecha ppl until a bit over 30 years ago. Not 400 years of silencing could extinguish our fire ❤️🔥
Ch’upiri Jimbaŋi
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