By: Abby Coven

News Editor

On Thanksgiving, local Aztec dance group Capulli Ocelochihuatl co-hosted the 14th annual Sunrise Ceremony at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose. Capulli Ocelochihuatl, a women-led Aztec and cultural group, organized the event. The group preserves indigenous culture and tradition through dance and community work. Since 2012, the South Bay gathering has been co-hosted by the School of Arts and Culture and in solidarity with the International Indian Treaty Council. Often referred to as “Unthanksgiving Day,” the annual gathering acknowledges and honors the truth behind the century-long massacre of indigenous peoples following European colonization of America. 

Organizers say the East San Jose ceremony draws its inspiration from the Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz Island every year. Held on Alcatraz Island in 1975, the first Unthanksgiving Day commemorated the unsuccessful attempt by a group of Native Americans to re-occupy Alcatraz Island some years after the prison closed. The founders chose Thanksgiving Day to be a reminder of the losses the indigenous people experienced and to honor their survival and resistance. 

Each year, Tamara Mozahuani Alvarado, a member of Capulli Ocelochihuatl, which means “jaguar women,” leads the ceremony. The morning starts with a land acknowledgement, recognizing the historical and continuing presence of the Muwekma Ohlone peoples in Santa Clara Valley. Tribal representatives and community leaders speak about the ceremony’s meaning, including Julie Dominguez, Ambassador of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in the Bay Area, and Rosanna Alvarez, local poet and West Valley College professor.

The ceremony is held in a giant circle and is punctuated by Indigenous drums, songs, and dances. A fire lies in the center, accompanied by a traditional teepee in the backdrop. Alvarado elaborated, “It’s traditional in native Mexican ceremonies and in other Indigenous cultures to make offerings to fire with tobacco or other plant material.” Ceremony guests line up to toss the mixture into the fire as an offering and opportunity to pray and reflect, according to Alvarado.

Alvarado shared that “this ceremony, for me, is an opportunity to practice solidarity with my native relatives in this country. My native roots are in Mexico; however, we live here.” Alvarado plans to continue the ceremony annually and hopes to shed light on Indigenous language, songs, and beliefs for not only Indigenous people, but others as well. All members of the community are welcome to join.

(Sources: National Today, UMass Library, School of Arts & Culture.)