Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts

Saturday, September 30, 2017

ZAKU

ZAKU: in the language IKU (Arhuaca) means mother, woman, responsible for transmitting wisdom from generation to generation in the native peoples.

Zaku: en lengua IKU (Arhuaca) significa madre, mujer, responsable de transmitir la sabiduria de generación en generación en los pueblos originarios.

ZAKU
 Seed of life is you, indigenous woman who ignites the fire of memory Mother who sows collective consciousness A native woman, a weaver of thought and a wise word. Mother earth, mother water, mother people. You feed the spirit of men. Female spiral language, from the beginning and without end. You work because harmony is born, to reap a universe in order an umbilical cord that survives with the great placenta, our sacred house the mother earth. Indigenous woman, mother, grandmother, sister. You are a lagoon, you are a plant that nourishes the life, that suckles this human world, this territory of you aboriginal woman, Original woman, cane that sustains the world making peace, weaving art of Wisdom and knowledge of the living cultures. DU NI ZAKU

Thank you woman spinner for creating with your voice ways cultures of life. It is recognized in you woman sower, transmitting the teachings of Good Living and Living Well, not forgetting the birth of the origin, the footsteps of the ancients, the language that we continue talking day and night, like the stove that does not go out and with its smoke travels through the memory of the corn peoples. We are all children of the universal mother, as well as children of the woman who takes care of her bare feet, which carries a son, a basket, a pack of hopes in each necklace. Without soil there is no food, without water there is no life, without sun there is no planet, no woman, the seed does not germinate, it is not learned, the spirit is not educated. We are the inheritance that the indigenous woman left us and recreates us as the water we drink and the foods that give us and guide us the existence. A woman with long hair, listening to you is feeling the conch that sounds and leaves fertile echoes of the origin, that song of the land that unites us to return, to the voice of the silence of a pregnancy, to the first words spoken as a child, "Mom, I am sleepy."

You shut my crying, you feed my huellas. Indigenous mother, who cooks tradition and distributes it to your children. You are a great maloka who keeps thought, history. You are the mother of us all. A cosmogonic woman, you are TIME, moon that illuminates man's steps and cycles, causing the eyes to look beyond. Sacred woman, you are rain of knowledge, food of the spirit, with your hands healthy of the earth, cures to the man. You are the dance of life, the ritual of balance, the millenary garden that feeds the five senses and the heart of human beings. NIWIKAGUMU NIWI GUZANA NI. ZAKU NI WI GUZANA NI. I love our mother earth. I love mother people. "du ni “. 
-Kasokaku Busintana Mestre Izquierdo de pueblo Iku, Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria

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ZAKU
 Semilla de vida eres tú, mujer indígena que prendes el fogón de la memoria ancestral. Madre que siembra conciencia colectiva mujer nativa, tejedora de pensamiento y palabra sabia. Madre tierra, madre agua, madre gente. Tú alimentas el espíritu de los hombres. Mujer de lenguaje en espiral, desde el principio y sin final. Trabajas porque nazca armonía, por cosechar un universo en orden, un cordón umbilical que pervive con la gran placenta, nuestra casa sagrada la madre tierra Mujer indígena, mamá, abuela, hermana. Eres laguna, eres planta que nutre la vida, que amamanta. este mundo humano, este territorio de partos tuyos mujer aborigen, Mujer originaria, bastón que sostiene el mundo haciendo paz, tejiendo arte de Sabiduría y conocimientos de las culturas vivas. DU NI ZAKU

Gracias mujer hilandera por crear con tu voz caminos cultivos de vida. Se reconoce en ti mujer sembradora, trasmitir las enseñanzas del Buen Vivir y el Vivir Bien, sin olvidar el parto del origen, los pasos de antiguos, la lengua que seguimos hablando día y noche, como el fogón que no se apaga y con su humo viaja por la memoria de los pueblos del maíz. Todos somos hijos de la madre universal, como también hijos de la mujer que cuida sus pies descalzos que en cada collar lleva un hijo, un canasto, una mochila de esperanzas. Sin tierra no hay comida, sin agua no hay vida, sin sol no hay planeta, sin mujer, la semilla no germina, no se aprende, no se educa el espíritu. Somos la herencia que la mujer indígena nos dejó y nos recrea como el agua que bebemos y los alimentos que nos dan y nos guían la existencia. Mujer de cabello largo, el escucharte es sentir la caracola que suena y deja ecos fecundos del origen, aquel canto de la tierra que nos une al retorno, a la voz del silencio de un embarazo, a las primeras palabras que se pronuncian cuando niño, "Mamá, teta, tengo sueño".

Tu callas mi llanto, alimentas mis huellas. Madre indígena, que cocinas la tradición y la repartes a tus hijos. Eres una gran maloka que guarda el pensamiento, la historia. Eres la madre de todos nosotros. Mujer cosmogónica, eres TIMA, luna que alumbra los pasos y ciclos del hombre, haciendo que los ojos miren más allá. Mujer sagrada, eres lluvia de saberes, alimento del espíritu, con tus manos sanas la tierra, curas al hombre. Eres la danza de la vida, el ritual del equilibrio, la huerta milenaria que alimenta los cinco sentidos y el corazón de los seres humanos. NIWIKAGUMU NIWI GUZANA NI. ZAKU NI WI GUZANA NI. Amo nuestra madre tierra. Amo la madre gente. "du ni''. 
-Kasokaku Busintana Mestre Izquierdo de pueblo Iku, Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Our Waters, our bodies, our Mother

Good Morning!

This intention of focusing on the Sacred Water and making this exploration publicly visible brings many things to the foreground. I am searching to represent the templates of spaces that are living in harmonious relationship with our Mother Earth and the Bodies of Water that flow in and outside of her. I am honoring the intimate prayers of communities and individuals to open more hearts and give more access to our internal waters while profoundly connecting with all waters. I am also giving voice to the many peoples who are fighting to protect our waters in a time where social media is the space that truly represents the people while, unfortunately, the mainstream is being censored.

I was able to spend some time connecting in the Yaqui pueblos in Sonora, Mexico. Here is a video of interviews I made with a couple of the women surrounding the waters and sustainable living.

This is not a unique story of sadness for the people and for the waters. These stories are all over the world. On the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota a call has been made for international community support to fight against tunnels for oil being run under the waters. It is an embarrassment how the US government is handling this. But it has also been a great demonstration of people coming together from all nations to speak up for Sacred Waters!  Yesterday we sang, we prayed, we united.

Many Blessings,
Tahila

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Moondancer


 In our prayers we put forth our intentions. We ask to be excused for the mistakes we make unknowingly and that no harm will come to anyone in the process of arriving where we need to be.
In this way I pray. I respectfully am apart of the Kalpulli Teokalli Teoyolotl.

To say I am beginning my preparations would be mis leading, better I say I am continuing my preparations to enter the Moondance circle, the womb, for my second year. My formal preparations began when I made my commitment with my Tobacco offering to my Madrina. I, Xicahuamazatl, with her permission, would make my commitment to dance the year following. I would accompany her to Mexico later that year to support her and learn while she danced her ninth year.

Since joining her circle, walking the red road with her as a navigator, it has been 8 years now. These years and more have been the start of my preparation.


Less then two weeks until one step in front of the other, one woman in front of the next, one fire in front of the next, one heartbeat.

8 days of ceremony, four nights of dancing, open, giving, receiving, praying. together. Tlazokamati

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Haiti: Rebuilding Strong

Recently I worked for Habitat for Humanity Haiti. These videos are of some women in an incredible and empowering job training program. There are programs focused on financial literacy, disaster risk education and home maintenance. A gender equality program that is interwoven through out the other courses.

Recorded August 2014 at a demonstration of skills day, where the students showed the advanced vocational construction skills they had learned through the course. The closing celebration can be heard in the back ground.






Sunday, August 10, 2014

Recovering Violation of the Feminine

In the darkness and shadow, hidden for many year, a memory. Since 2002 I have known the bump in the night. A night of too much in Washington and an evil hearted cab driver. I was in college then, recently back from living abroad.
At times a flash comes to me, a new part of the memory I have suppressed comes to the surface for me to recognize, to acknowledge so I can let go, forgive and have peace.
My close friend asked if I had been abused.
He wanted to make my person in bronze for a body of work. with Text
 We began with my bottom half. I assumed the posture of my nightmare. Extreme Yoga to hold a pose. This pose. Feel deep into it until my muscles ached and sometimes I lost all blood. As the silicon dried and then the plaster was applied, to harden. The weight growing heavier and I became glued, forced down, to the ground, to the slab bellow me.
 I felt certain that it was my time to process. It is my time to process. Each step up become harder to breath, out. Each leg, then arms bound above my head, the chest plate and lastly, very finally my face.  As each took away a different movement, a capability. At the end I held my heart. I am thankful to have the opportunity to work this way. For my friend to help give me palace to process. My book will be made of Tabacoo. My story i will intertwine with my prayers. In my four part binding and sacred plant I will not hold on any more. He will have no part of me anymore, not even in remnants soon.


I now look at these pictures as I post. I can smile seeing that my Krav Mega (Israel hand to hand combat) tank is what I am wearing while my face is covered. These are memories I have not shared. I think it's important to speak and share. To be strong together.

Monday, April 25, 2011

‎" we could be one word away from a major paradigm shift in consciousness" -Martha Ward


We are biting at a pie campaign, a peace movement, a recording and rejoicing in a communal history of familiar unification s through our taste buds, memorized aromas and unmatchable textures. Our series of round table discussions in the Heath House at Project Row Houses was energetic. A table of pies laid out on the table, our lady "keepers of the flame" images hung large in the air and the walls were chalked up with words from the many people whom have passed through the door to explore in this space. I room of inspiration, discussion and remembering.

Heath House: Apron String Conversations (Round One) April 23rd

Saturday, April 23, 2011

HEARTH HOUSE: Apron Strings Conversations

Image: Chef Tarsha. March 2011

Houston's Project Row House is where an incredible collaboration is blossoming. Project Hearth House is in its first installation. Luanne Stovall, Toni Tipton-Martin, Meeta Morrison, Ellen Hunt, Chrystal Granger and Myself, a artist/designer, a culinary journalist, three architects and myself.

Todays Event!

HEARTH HOUSE: Apron Strings Conversations

at Project Row Houses. Houston, TX

In conjunction with Round 34: Matter of FOOD, Hearth House (Art House #2515 Holman) will host two roundtable Conversations.

Please join us as Hearth House hosts two roundtable Apron Strings Conversations. “Secret Ingredients” stirs together the memories and secrets of favorite recipes, which warm hearts, bridge generations, and fan the flames of community. “Apron Strings” also explores the unifying relationship between cooking at the hearth and sewing for survival and the way these activities uplift of the soul.

Participants include the women of Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church, who are participating in an oral history culinary project with the University of Houston, and a photo documentary project with Tahila Mintz for Hearth House.

Insights also will be shared by quilters from The Jubilee Quilt Circle and members of the 3rd Ward community.

Pie will be served for guests, courtesy of local bakers.

see images of the house set up at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150219655300656.352193.526495655&l=84417c16cb

AND MORE at LIKE at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hearth-House-at-Project-Row-Houses/219908454689905?sk=info#!/pages/Hearth-House-at-Project-Row-Houses/188242797880283

Thursday, September 9, 2010

bare foot


I want to be where
your bare foot walks,

because maybe before you step,
you'll look at the ground.
I want that blessing.

-Rumi

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Nov. 2009



My life is this incredible circle that somehow inspires me over and over again. The wind is sound enough to create my interest in what exists around me. The sun so bright my eyes must close and I go inward again…and the wind blows and it starts over and over, cycling. I received something to keep on me to protect me. To attach it with a pin and although its cold my jacket is not where it is pinned but to my camera strap as that truly what is my companion. I never would have known. As I never can, many smiles for that belief and the solidness of dissipated space as the concrete.
I soon fly back to the states. Texas will hold me for a few days then to mother and lutui in Danby. This extraordinary stage of travel for Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer, being overly paid in experience in a happy exchange for my time is ending in Europe and Central Asia. I have met extraordinary people, had many offers to be married off and witnessed many communities, even become a part of some.
My exploration of representing women in my personal work has come to new places. I spend time with women communicating in English, with a translator or just in existing in space together for extended periods of time. Their light enters my work and when the men step outside the space that is in the room has been taken over again by the women clan. I watch and participate.
The roles in Tajikistan, where I most recently was, I experienced as a women in jeans. Also I was invited to the other side where I wore scarves and was left to be with the clan. Men of Multiple marriages sat as we drank tea, me and all the men, glowing happy people. Or I was with the women and children to have Tea, depending on the house. Many men were not of multiple marriages but I came to understand that this point did not signify how much love was in the partnership or what kind of partnership it was. The older men with more than one wife looked much older than the men with only one. I can image it would be a lot of work, as they also jokingly say. An extended conversation for another time.
The water system is in need of more infrastructures. Habitat has a water filter programs there which seems to be a great investment choice for a family. But a greater distribution system is needed for the communities to have water year round and without needing to manually retrieve it.
The road to Radt is incredible. Beauty . in the fog the mountains look like an exquisite painting that is flat only the reality is so many distances and depths of detail. The tricks it plays with your eyes and the hawks flying around. The road goes on and on. Dirt for hours of bumpy driving.
Tajikistan is like Romania. I will be returning to spend time and photograph.
I am now in Kyrgyzstan.