In the South Bronx on Sunday, August 10, the annual NewYorkTlan festival brought together indigenous communities from across New York City for a day of food, music and tradition.
Organized by Red de Pueblos Transnacionales, a network of indigenous and rural immigrant groups in New York City, the event featured dances, musical performances, storytelling and vendors offering goods like tamales, aguas frescas, handmade jewelry, embroidered clothing and herbs. The festival was created in 2014 to celebrate indigenous identities often overshadowed by homogenized representations of Latin American culture.
“We wanted to create an event that prioritizes indigenous voices, languages and traditions,” said Marco Castillo, one of the founders of Red de Pueblos Transnacionales.
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This year, amid the steep increase in deportations and ICE raids under the Trump administration, the gathering was moved indoors and made invitation-only.
“In this time of terror and hate,” Castillo said, “it’s important to remember that many of these cultures have been here for longer than the United States.”
Iakowi:he’ne’ Oakes, founder and director of the North American Indigenous Center of New York, attended NewYorkTlan to take part in the festival and help foster connections between groups. For Oakes, the event offers something vital:
“New York can be a cold and difficult place to be,” she said. “[At NewYorkTlan] people can reaffirm their traditional cultures and each other … and celebrate the colorful, beautiful things that come with community.”
