Past Event: Nahuatl Film Screening: "Mother's Day in Cuetzalan: Panchita the Weaver"

2003 | Directed by Judith Gleason | United States | 66 minutes | Spanish

Free admission. Registration not required. 

The Nahuatl Working Group is hosting a special screening of “Mother's Day in Cuetzalan: Panchita the Weaver” for Women’s History Month. The documentary offers an intimate look at the life of Panchita, a resilient and talented Nahua woman whose weaving skills sustain her family amidst challenging economic circumstances in Mexico's Sierra Norte. The film explores the complex interplay of local traditions and the pressures of globalization by highlighting the struggles of Indigenous communities marginalized by Mexico's central government and impacted by land degradation and water pollution. Through Panchita's story, we see a vivid portrayal of resilience, as she linguistically navigates the Cuetzalan markets in Spanish and Nahuatl, and preserves her heritage through traditional weaving and ceremonial practices uplifting the bonds of maternal lineages. 

This event will include a post-film discussion, offering a space to reflect on the themes of the documentary such as the role of weaving in Indigenous identity and the broader social and environmental issues affecting Nahua communities today. The event will close with a reception catered by Mazorca Mexican Cuisine. 

Post-film discussion and weaaving demonstration by Kiki Serna, an interdisciplinary artist and advocate for Indigenous textile traditions

Sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, MacMillan's Council on Latin American Studies, the Whitney Center through the Nahuatl Working Group, Yale's American Studies Program, the Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Department, the Native American Cultural Center, and the Spanish & Portuguese Department.