Hispanic Heritage Month continues in Coconino County

Photos by Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ ©2019

COCONINO COUNTY — Hispanic Heritage Month continued in Coconino County.

Members of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces took part in an “Ofrenda 101″ and Halloween vs. Día de los Muertos” noontime presentations for Coconino County employees this past week.

Future events in September for county employees include:

  • A Hispanic Heritage Month Book Club led by Lauren Bednar on “The House on Mango Street” from Sept. 24 through Oct. 22.
  • A Discussion Panel with District 2 Supervisor Elizabeth “Liz” Archuleta,” Treasurer Sarah Benatar and Assessor Armando Ruiz Jr. on Sept. 26.
  • A prevention on the Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council by Chair Ruth Eaton on Sept. 26

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors and celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of individuals whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Central America and South America.

In 1968, the United States Congress passed a resolution to celebrate Hispanic heritage at the national level and in 1988, the President of the United States formalized an annual month of Hispanic heritage recognition from September 15 to October 15 of each year.

Upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month and other future cultural events in the region:

(Please send more more information to fmoraga@amigosnaz.com)

Northern Arizona University’s Office of Inclusion (IMQ) presents “Campus Diversity Engagement Events Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month.” Click here to see the entire schedule.

Sept. 21 — Flagstaff Taco Festival at noon, Saturday, Sept. 21 at Pepsi Amphitheater. Event info: https://pepsiamp.com/event/taco-festival/

Sept. 24 — Steward Health Choice Arizona is presenting a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration for its staff, provider staff, clinicians, case managers, stakeholders and partners on Sept. 24 in Flagstaff. Contact holly.figueroa@steward.org or 928-214-2169 for more information.

Sept. 27 — Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra’s 70th Anniversary Season begins on September 27th with a spectacular program featuring 17-year-old Mexican piano prodigy Daniela Liebman performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, paired with Tchaikovsky’s monumental Symphony No. 5! Purchase tickets and learn more at: http://www.flagstaffsymphony.org/

Oct. 2 — The Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 at the Coconino County Administration Building, 219 E. Cherry Ave., Flagstaff, Arizona.* Time, location subject to change. Notice of changes will be posted 24 hours prior to meeting. Download agendas, minutes HERE  CHAC serves as an official liaison and communications link between the Hispanic community and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, so please bring any concerns you may have about equal education opportunities, fair employment, juvenile justice, political representation and other issues. CHAC is a supporter of the Ballet Folklórico de Colores — Flagstaff, Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces, the Hispanic Convocation at Northern Arizona University, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association of Flagstaff and other organizations. Call 928-679-7135, send an email to Susie Garretson at sgarretson@coconino.az.gov or visit https://coconinochac.org for more information.

Oct. 3 — Latin American Film Series presents100 Children Waiting for a Train at 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at Northern Arizona University, Liberal Arts, Building 18, 705 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff. Tonight’s film is 100 Children Waiting for a Train (Ignacio Agüero, 1989, Chile, documentary about Alicia Vega, who leads cinema workshops for children in low-income neighborhoods on the outskirts of Santiago). FREE for NAU students, faculty and staff. Contact David Gray David.Gray@nau.edu  for more information. The Trial (Maria Ramos, Brazil, 2018)

Oct. 4 — Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces is scheduled to present a Sugar Skull decorating workshop as part of Flagstaff First Fridays event. More details to come from Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces.

Oct. 4 — Gato de Lixo Caporeira at Heritage Square, 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, Heritage Square, downtown Flagstaff. Come enjoy this exciting performance by Centro Capoeira Amizade Flagstaff in Downtown Heritage Square! Capoeira Angola is an art form that combines and draws elements from dance, martial arts, acrobatics, ritual, and music. It is ultimately a game where a “Capoeirista” or “Angoleiro” uses agility and technique to maneuver a fellow player into a defenseless position, making them open to a headbutt, kick or sweep. Players can only place hands, head and feet on the floor. Usually there is no contact from strikes as it is understood that an implied strike is more admirable especially if an opponent has been obviously manipulated into a position that is not defensible. The strikes, evasions, and counter-strikes are woven together with acrobatic and dance maneuvers during the course of a game, and the freedom to improvise and create openings keeps Capoeira Angola fluid and often unpredictable. FREE. Click here for more information.

Oct. 10 — Latin American Film Series presents “Embrace the Serpent,” 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at Northern Arizona University, Liberal Arts, Building 18, 705 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff. Tonight’s film is Embrace of the Serpent(Ciro Guerra, Colombia, 2015), a beautifully shot narrative based on two expeditions up the Amazon in search of a plant with magical healing powers. Both expeditions, 40 years apart from one another, are conducted by Karamakate, a shaman, and two different European scientists. Shades of Apocalypse Now, but with a powerful emphasis on indigenous perspectives on colonialism. FREE for NAU students, faculty and staff. Contact David Gray David.Gray@nau.edu  for more information. The Trial (Maria Ramos, Brazil, 2018).

Oct. 17 — Latin American Film Series presents “Memories of Underdevelopment,” 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at Northern Arizona University, Liberal Arts, Building 18, 705 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff. Tonight’s film is Memories of Underdevelopment(Tomás Guttiérez Alea, Cuba, 1968). A newly restored classic of Cuban cinema’s glory days in the 1960s, this is the story of a disaffected Cuban intellectual observing the heady and chaotic early days of the Cuban revolution. FREE for NAU students, faculty and staff. Contact David Gray David.Gray@nau.edu  for more information. The Trial (Maria Ramos, Brazil, 2018).

Oct. 18 — EdTalk: “What does the Mexican Consulate do?” at  6 pm. Friday, Oct. 18 at the CCC Lonetree Campus. More details to come from Coconino Community College.

Oct. 19 — Consulate Mobil, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the CCC Commons. More details to come from Coconino Community College.

Oct. 24 — Latin American Film Series presents Nostalgia for the Light,” 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at Northern Arizona University, Liberal Arts, Building 18, 705 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff. Tonight’s film is Nostalgia for the Light (Patricio Guzmán, Chile, 2010, poetic documentary that juxtaposes  two searches that take place in Chile’s arid Atacama desert: astronomers studying the origins of the universe and family members of the disappeared looking for the bodies of their loved ones, killed by the Pinochet dictatorship.) FREE for NAU students, faculty and staff. Contact David Gray David.Gray@nau.edu  for more information. The Trial (Maria Ramos, Brazil, 2018).

Oct. 26-27 — Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona, in partnership with Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces. Two-day event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with the return of the Courtyard After Dark program from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Visit http://musnaz.org/heritage/celebraciones/ or click here for more info, schedule

Nov. 1, 2Día de los Muertos — Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2. More details to come on local events.

Nov. 27 — David Archuleta Christmas Tour 2019, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, The Orpheum Theater, 15 W. Aspen St., Flagstaff. David Archuleta became a star when he was just 16. In 2008 more than 30 million television viewers fell in love with his angelic voice and their 44 million votes made him runner-up in Season 7 of “American Idol.” Soon after, the young Utahan had his first single “Crush,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of its release. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the track sold 166,000. Click here for more information.