Dada’Nas’Tada (welcome in the Tsuut’ina Language)

I am writing this article about my trip to Santa Cruz Bolivia. Illgive you a little history. The 1st time I was there was back in 2005 I went there with a group from Ghost River Rediscovery. I was a part of their Youth Leadership Program that year. We were sent to Bolivia. I was there for about 9 ½ weeks. In that time we met so many people, I knew that one day I would return. This was a dream of mine to return to the communities that showed us so much love and openness despite their own poverty & poor living conditions.

So I planned to return to Santa Cruz this year with 3 youth from Tsuut’ina (Nidaan , Ngatai & Irene Crowchild) & 1 gentleman from Aroland First Nation. (Bobby Narcisse)

It wasn’t easy, anything worth doing I was told is not going to be easy. The date was set for October 12th till the 26th 2010. Tickets were bought, planes were made. But there was a thought how can I give back to them to the youth of Santa Cruz who have literally nothing but the clothes on their back how do I show them that I haven’t forgotten them? So I decided to be not shy and ask for donations from people that I interact with on a daily basis. I went to all the departments on the Tsuut’ina Nation. But the real movement came when I was chatting at our staff outing with Carol Urness. I was explaining to her about my upcoming trip and how nervous I was, she assured me that everything would be okay. She said “ I tell you what we at CASS love helping, what you are doing seems to be something of a great magnitude Yvonne let us see what we can do to help you.” I was shocked by her offer, I quietly said “ok wow thank you.”

Carol & the team at CASS made good on their word. By the 9th of October there were packages waiting at the main office for our trip. The response was overwhelming. As I packed the items into my truck I said a little prayer for all those I work with, to say thank you in my own way. When we landed in Santa Cruz, my family assumed that I was moving there with the amount of luggage we all had. We were greeted with true Bolivian fashion. In the time we were there we performed for the Community Warnes, for the Universities Gabriela Rene Moreno & Nur University, the director or the Nur University welcomed us into his home for a barbeque. We appeared on TV several times. Our group volunteered with street youth, walking the streets helping the kids that Santa Cruz has forgotten about. It was an honor to return to Bolivia. The main event was a cultural festival that was being held in our honor by the director Edwin Fernandez Huayhua. He is the director of “Revivir Bolivia” program, the festival was organized for the youth to be reconnected with their indigenous Bolivian Heritage. The festival was more than we all expected, it was held in a very simple part of town. One of the poorest parts of Santa Cruz, the youth and their families welcomed us with their traditional dances, food and lots of information on where they come from. We watched the dances, and listened to the music. When it was our turn to take the stage the children yelled and cheered for us. We performed for them the Jingle Dress Dance & The Fancy Shawl Dance with the Tsuut’ina Nation Flag behind us. I explained to them the significance of the dances. The entire school yard and surrounding area was still while we danced.

The conclusion of our final presentation was the giveaway. When I was explaining to the youth what I giveaway is they didn’t seem to understand. The giveaway is done in Canadian first nation communities it is done with prayers. The items are blessed by an elder * the packages were smudged by Charlie Crowchild of the Tsuut’ina Nation before we left to south America* then the family that usually is holding the giveaway has a honor song to be sung while the gifts are given out. But in our case it was like a surge of people rushing the stage we were on. We handed out everything that we had brought down with us. The key chains, shirts, sweaters everything, the youth didn’t understand why people who don’t know them would give them these items for free? Some of the youth attempted to give us money for them. We declined of course. There were tears of joy that day. I presented the Tsuut’ina nation flag to the director Edwin Fernandez explaining that this flag comes from our nation to be here with the program. He in exchange gave me 4 Wiphala and 4 Condor Feathers. He said to give to the directors of my work in which the gifts came from, to send back with many prayers and good energy. Edwin then told the story of how he travelled 3 hours to find these items. He said that in the end it was all worth it because we were here today. He said that to present the items with Tobacco. To show the respect to the people that donated the items this was the greatest way to say thank you. The youth were sad to see us go,But happy knowing that our paths will cross again. In closing it was a blessing to be able to share this experience with the people at CASS. Know that there are youth in Santa Cruz Bolivia that will remember your donation for a long time. That it meant for than money to them to know that you shared your kindness, there is a message for you…the Youth of Revivir Bolivia Project they said

“With faith all things are possible, with love all things grow, with kindness all things are shared, with respect cultures can understand each other’s differences, and this is the way to peace within the human kind. Thank you CASS for the donations, we send back love and good energy to you all!”

This was sent to me from Edwin Fernandez for the info on the Flag.

Meaning of Colors Wiphala:

The colors originate from the solar beam to decompose the white iris areo (kutukutu), in seven colors of the rainbow areo (Kurmi), taken as a reference by our ancestors, to establish the composition and structure of our emblems, likewise organize society harmonious community and the Andes.

WHERE AND WHY WE USE THE Wiphala:

The wiphala is owned by the Nation, ie the Qhishwa-Aymara, Guarani and around the town.

It is the symbol of the exploited classes, oppressed, humiliated and marginalized, is the representation of national majorities.

For the Aymara-qhishwa, the wiphala is the expression of philosophical thought Andes, the content expresses the development of science, technology and art is also the expression of Pacha-kamadealéctica and Pacha-mama, is the image of organization of brotherhood and harmony and reciprocity in the Andes.

So the wiphala is sacred, and it behooves us to spread and defend the image, the meaning of our emblem, throughout the Andean region, both in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and show the people of the world, our territorial identity national and cultural.

Handling and use should be permanent and consistent, as in the glorious past of our ancestors and our culture.

We used in ceremonial acts, at parties, in marches, games and competitions, in acts of commemoration, community meetings ayllu and Mark, in agricultural work, the wiphala must be present at all social events and culture, particularly in the memorable dates Qullana MARKA, and Tawantinsuyu, as identified by community members live our cultural essence. So the wiphala should be flying at all places and at all events of daily living of the Andean people.

At the time of raising the wiphala, everyone should keep quiet and at the end someone has to give the voice of triumph and victory of JallallaQullanamarka, Jallallapusintsuyu or TAWANTINSUYU.

RED; represents the planet earth (aka-pacha) is the expression of the Andean, intellectual development, is the cosmic philosophy of thought and knowledge of the AMAWTA.
ORANGE, represents the society and culture is the expression of culture, it also expresses the preservation and propagation of the human species, considered the most precious cultural wealth of the nation, health and medicine, training and education The cultural practice of young dynamic.
YELLOW represents energy and strength (ch'ama-pacha) is the expression of the moral principles of the Andean people, is the doctrine of kama and PachaPacha-mama: duality (chacha-warmi) are the laws and rules , collectivist practice of brotherhood and human solidarity.
WHITE; represents time and dialectics (jaya-pacha) is the expression of development and the ongoing transformation of Qullana MARKA over the Andes, the development of science and technology, art, intellectual and manual work that generates reciprocity and harmony within the community structure.
GREEN, represents the Andean economy and production, is the symbol of natural resources, surface and subsoil, represents land and territory, so it's produeción agriculture, flora and fauna, hydrological and mineralogical fields.
BLUE; represents the cosmic space, to infinity (Arax-pacha) is the expression of stellar systems of the universe and the natural effects on the land they feel is the astronomy and physics, the socio economic, political and cultural , is the law of gravity, dimensions and natural phenomena.
VIOLET, representing the Andean politics and ideology is the expression of community power and harmonic of the Andes, the instrument of the state as a higher court, which is the structure of power organizations, social, economic and cultural the people's administration and the country.

In front of a Painting the kids did for our arrival!

Some of the Youth we worked with

Some of dancing they were doing at the festival for Revivir Bolivia

This is one the street youth we met she lives under one of the busiest streets in Santa Cruz she is addicted to Sniffing glue. She has one of the CASS Sweaters, she sleeps with it.