about xob…
For thousands of years, maiz has been a foundation of life, creation stories, ceremony as well the base of the diet and nutrition consumed by inhabitants of diverse lands throughout present-day occupied americas. Mesoamerica, (present-day) Mexico, and the subsequent cultures that have transformed, survived, and persisted would exist and can’t be understood without maiz. Corn is inextricably intertwined with the worldview of indigenous peoples until today.
This spring, I would like to honor maiz in the best way I know how. I am planning an encuentro: a two-day, multi-media, fully community-funded event with the main goal of bringing together people from old austin, surrounding regions within tejas, and Mexico City to connect them through their important work with maiz. XOB encuentro de maíz will highlight families and tortillerxs with deep historical roots in tejas, chefs who are preserving ancestral traditions through their food + new interpretations, and feature activists bringing awareness to the injustices and oppression indigenous people have been battling for centuries (and continue to) at the hands of colonization.
Community funding through sponsors, donors, and gofundme or other supporters is how I would like to bring encuentro de maíz to life. Whether it is through sponsorship, direct donations, or spreading the word about this event, every $ or share helps immensely. I would like to put money back into important local community spaces like Nepantla and Casa de Resistencia, pay participants for their time, and create a foundation that allows for the growth of community building, accessibility, and autonomy, especially as our cities become drastically gentrified and exclusive. My goal with anything I organize is also always to create safe, inclusive spaces for people to feel connected, practice reciprocity, and explore either their roots or new ways of living/co-existing.
featuring art, poetry, and recipes by
Sewa Yuli, Doug Martin, Gabo Martinez, Francely Flores, Chiara Do’wal Sehi, Mark Romero, Luis Martinez, Luna Vela, Winsor Kinkade + featuring Milpa Gráfica by Mariana Castillo Hernández
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zine design and poem by Luna Vela
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special thank you to
nepantla, casa de resistencia bookstore, ☾ , participants, volunteers, + everyone who has supported and believed in encuentro
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big thank you to sponsors + <3 supporters
el naranjo, gabe erales, comadre panadería, bacalar, guayaki yerba mate, veracruz all natural y más tba.
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gracias neftali duran por el maíz.