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New York Latin Culture Magazine®

New York Latin Culture Magazine®

World-class Indigenous, European & African Culture since 2012

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Indigenous Culture

Indigenous culture in New York City was originally Lenape (the true people). Manahatta is a Lenape name. Broadway and Bowery/Third Avenue were old Lenape trails. Today many Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of the Americas live here. Being Latin usually means being at least part Indigenous.

New York’s Indigenous cultural centers include The Lenape Center, The North American Indigenous Center of New York, and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute.

Indigenous museums include: the National Museum of the American Indian, El Museo del Barrio, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Brooklyn Museum.

The main Indigenous festivals include the Indigenous People Day Pow Wow, the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Parade, and the Drums Along the Hudson multicultural pow wow.

Indigenous Culture in New York City

Fall for Dance (Wirestock/Dreamstime)

Fall For Dance 2023 Celebrates 20 Years at New York City Center

Five programs of three international dance companies for $20 + fees at one of New York’s leading dance theaters.

NEW YORK CITY CENTER in Midtown, Manhattan

🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇫🇷 🇮🇳 🇲🇽 🇪🇸

Continue Reading Fall For Dance 2023 Celebrates 20 Years at New York City Center

The Harvest Moon full moon rises over the Two Bridges neighborhood (LittleNY/Dreamstime)

“Harvest Moon” is a Native American Name for the September Full Moon

Friday, September 22, 2023

Continue Reading “Harvest Moon” is a Native American Name for the September Full Moon

Armory Show 2023 (Vincent Tullo/Armory Show)

The Armory Show Brings International Latin and African Galleries to New York

New York’s big fall contemporary art fair anchors Armory Week.

JAVITS CENTER
Hudson, Yards

🇦🇷 🇧🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇱 🇨🇴 🇨🇦 🇲🇽 🇵🇪 🇵🇷 🇻🇪
🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸
🇬🇭 🇨🇮 🇳🇬 🇸🇳 🇿🇦
🇵🇭

Continue Reading The Armory Show Brings International Latin and African Galleries to New York

Drums Along the Hudson 2023 (Jose Terrero/Dreamstime)

Drums Along the Hudson is a Native American & Multicultural Celebration of Drum, Song & Dance

A spectacular multicultural pow wow brings the old ways back to life. Everyone hears the call of the drum. 🇮🇳 🇯🇵 🇲🇽 🇱🇰 🇺🇸

INWOOD HILL PARK
Sunday, June 4, 2023

Continue Reading Drums Along the Hudson is a Native American & Multicultural Celebration of Drum, Song & Dance

Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023 (We Are Guardians/Fernanda Luna)

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Brings Global Problems into Focus

We have a lot of problems that we can only solve together, including war, women’s rights, transgender rights, health, environmental destruction, and press freedom.

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER
May 31 – June 11, 2023
🇧🇷 🇫🇷 🇮🇷 🇮🇹 🇺🇬

Continue Reading Human Rights Watch Film Festival Brings Global Problems into Focus

ACO Sonic Festival with Miguel Zenón & Angélica Negrón (Herminio/Catalina Kulczar/Hostos)

ACO SONiC Festival with Miguel Zenón and Angélica Negrón Creates Avant-Garde Puerto Rican Classical Music at Hostos

A primer on some of the young Latin artists who are doing incredible work stretching the jazz and classical music canon in New York City.

HOSTOS CENTER
Mott Haven, The Bronx
Sunday, June 4, 2023
🇵🇷 🇨🇴 🇮🇱 🇺🇸

Continue Reading ACO SONiC Festival with Miguel Zenón and Angélica Negrón Creates Avant-Garde Puerto Rican Classical Music at Hostos

New York Now: Home at the Museum of the City of New York (Brad Farwell/MCNY)

The New York Now: Home Photography Exhibition at MCNY Shows How New Yorkers Make New York City Home

Ongoing
MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
“El Barrio” East Harlem
🇺🇸 🇨🇴 🇲🇽 🇵🇪 🇵🇷

Continue Reading The New York Now: Home Photography Exhibition at MCNY Shows How New Yorkers Make New York City Home

Benito Juárez (Wikimedia)

Remember Benito Juárez, Indigenous Founding Father of Modern Mexico!

Tuesday, March 21, 2023
🇲🇽

Continue Reading Remember Benito Juárez, Indigenous Founding Father of Modern Mexico!

March "Worm Moon" over NYC (Lindrik/Dreamstime)

“Worm Moon” is a Native American Name for the March Full Moon

Tuesday, March 7, 2023
🌝

Continue Reading “Worm Moon” is a Native American Name for the March Full Moon

Indigenous NYC, Maria Tallchief (Everett Collection/Adobe)

Remember Maria TallChief (Osage Nation), America’s & NY City Ballet’s First Prima Ballerina Who Popularized The Nutcracker

Tuesday, January 24, 2023
🇺🇸

Continue Reading Remember Maria TallChief (Osage Nation), America’s & NY City Ballet’s First Prima Ballerina Who Popularized The Nutcracker

The Winter Show (José Ignacio Soto/Adobe)

The Winter Show 2023 is at the Park Avenue Armory

Friday-Sunday, January 20-29, 2023
PARK AVENUE ARMORY
Upper East Side, NYC
🇦🇷 🇺🇸 | 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇵🇹 🇪🇸
 

Continue Reading The Winter Show 2023 is at the Park Avenue Armory

Chocolate comes from the Upper Amazon (Pixabay/Pexels)

Celebrate National Chocolate Day and the Indigenous Mesoamerican Flavor

Saturday, October 28, 2023a
🇬🇹🇲🇽 | 🇨🇴🇻🇪

Continue Reading Celebrate National Chocolate Day and the Indigenous Mesoamerican Flavor

Tequila shots (Brent Hofacker/Adobe)

Celebrate National Tequila Day with the Agave Spirit of Pre-Columbian Mexico

Monday, July 24, 2023
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Continue Reading Celebrate National Tequila Day with the Agave Spirit of Pre-Columbian Mexico

New York City Ballet "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker" (NYCB)

New York City Ballet’s “George Balanchine The Nutcracker” 2023

Friday, November 24 – December 30, 2023
DAVID H KOCH THEATER
Lincoln Center

Continue Reading New York City Ballet’s “George Balanchine The Nutcracker” 2023

Huitzilophochtli, the Aztec sun god of war, from the Codex Borbonicus (Wikipedia)

On the Winter Solstice, Remember Huitzilopochtli, National God of the Aztecs!

Thursday, December 21, 2023
🇲🇽

Continue Reading On the Winter Solstice, Remember Huitzilopochtli, National God of the Aztecs!

La Virgen de Guadalupe (Jesus Eloy Ramos Lara/Dreamstime)

Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron Saint of Mexico, & Icon of Our Latin Identity!

Tuesday, December 12, 2023
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Continue Reading Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron Saint of Mexico, & Icon of Our Latin Identity!

Las Mañanitas a Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe (Keith Widyolar/New York Latin Culture Magazine)

Celebrate Las Mañanitas a Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe

Monday, December 11, 2023
🇲🇽

Continue Reading Celebrate Las Mañanitas a Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe

Celebrate Native American Heritage Day (alfa27/Adobe)

Celebrate Native American Heritage Day, an Official Federal Holiday!

Friday, November 24, 2023
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Continue Reading Celebrate Native American Heritage Day, an Official Federal Holiday!

DOC NYC (Guruxox/Dreamstime)

DOC NYC 2022

Wednesday, November 9-17, 2022
IFC CENTER, SVA THEATRE, CINÉPOLIS CHELSEA
West Village, Chelsea, Manhattan
🇧🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇨🇦🇮🇹✡️🇻🇪🇺🇸

Continue Reading DOC NYC 2022

Mictlancihuatl, Aztec goddess of the underworld (Borgia Codex/Wikimedia)

Remember Mictlancihuatl, Mesoamerican Goddess of the Underworld, Which in that Context is Heaven

DAY OF THE DEAD
Thursday, November 2, 2023
🇲🇽

Continue Reading Remember Mictlancihuatl, Mesoamerican Goddess of the Underworld, Which in that Context is Heaven

Catrina La Calavera Garbancera by José Guadalupe Posada (c 1910-13) (Wikimedia)

Remember Catrina La Calavera Garbancera, the Queen of the Day of the Dead

DAY OF THE DEAD
Thursday, November 2, 2023
🇲🇽

Continue Reading Remember Catrina La Calavera Garbancera, the Queen of the Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead with Adál Maldonado #AdalWasHere (Agcuesta/Dreamstime/Roberto Paradise)

Day of the Dead NYC 2022 Día de los Muertos is a Three-Day Family Celebration of Life

OFRENDAS (Family Altars)
Monday, October 31, 2022

DÍA DE LOS INNOCENTES (Children’s Day)
Tuesday, November 1, 2022

DÍA DE MUERTOS (Day of the Dead)
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

🇧🇷🇲🇽🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇹🇭🇹🇵🇭🇪🇸

Continue Reading Day of the Dead NYC 2022 Día de los Muertos is a Three-Day Family Celebration of Life

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Courtesy Ms. Jones.

Thanksgiving Looks Very Different From the Other Side of the Table

Thursday, November 24, 2022
🇺🇸

Continue Reading Thanksgiving Looks Very Different From the Other Side of the Table

Indigenous Taíno Dominican Republic (Oskanov-Dreamstime)

The Great Spirit of the Lenape 1st New Yorkers Invites all 1st Nations and Allies to the 1st NYC Indigenous Peoples Day Parade!

Saturday, October 15, 2022

MEETING
Madison Square Park

PARADE
Broadway from 26th to 17th St
🇺🇸

Continue Reading The Great Spirit of the Lenape 1st New Yorkers Invites all 1st Nations and Allies to the 1st NYC Indigenous Peoples Day Parade!

Native American Heritage Month (Zhukovsky/Dreamstime)

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month!

Tuesday, November 1, 2022
🇺🇸

Continue Reading Celebrate Native American Heritage Month!

December "Cold Moon" over New York City (Gary 718/Dreamstime)

“Cold Moon” is the Native American Name of the December Full Moon

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Continue Reading “Cold Moon” is the Native American Name of the December Full Moon

Pachamama (Kwasny221/Adobe)

Celebrate Pachamama, the Andean New Year That Honors Mother Earth!

Tuesday, August 1, 2023
🇦🇷🇨🇱🇧🇴🇪🇨🇵🇪

Continue Reading Celebrate Pachamama, the Andean New Year That Honors Mother Earth!


Indigenous Peoples

Native Americans live in the United States and Canada, but we are a continuum of Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego.

We didn’t die out in the Colonial Era. Many of us married in and the census just stopped counting us. We’re still here.

Indigenous culture survived better outside the United States. It’s often mixed with African Diaspora culture because we escaped the colonizers together. In some regions, the African Diaspora culture is more present. In others, the Indigenous culture is more present, but a surprising amount of African Diaspora culture is mixed in.

Maracas and the güiro are Indigenous Caribbean instruments used in Latin music.

Indigenous New York City

There are many Indigenous sites in New York City. People forget, but the land remembers. Many place names are based on Indigenous names. For example, the Lenape name “Mannahatta” (hilly island) became Manhattan.

Broadway was the Lenape road from the market where the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian is now, past the Sacred Council Elm where Bowling Green Park is now, up to the site of the Lenape town in Inwood and beyond to Albany along what is now Route 9. Albany was a regional center of Indigenous culture. The Lenape town where Inwood Hill Park is now, is the most beautiful spot on the island.

The Bowery was a trail that led up the mainland shore of Long Island Sound. Red Hook Lane in Downtown Brooklyn was a Canarsie trail.

The spirit of the First Nations has always been here, and the Great Spirit of the land, the land of many hills, Mannahatta, will always be here.


The Colonial Period

It’s hard to grasp how hard the Colonial Period was on the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. What started with a devastating pandemic, ended with a literal and then cultural genocide. But we are still here.

At the time of European contact, the Americas were full of people who were cultivating and managing the land. The great civilizations of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Inca are well known. But there were great civilizations in North America too, including the Mississippi Mound Builders and the Southwest Pueblos. These were large, highly-developed societies that traded throughout the Americas. There were people everywhere. Most were farmers. Some were hunter gatherers. There was nothing primitive about the First Nations. They just weren’t European.

The pre-contact population of the Americas is debated, but most estimates range from 50 to 100 million people. Pandemics of European diseases, genocidal practices, and livestock that destroyed Indigenous farming caused a rapid 90-95% depopulation. The death rate from Covid-19 is less than 2%. Imagine the shock of a 90-95% death rate. Those who survived then had to fight the colonizers.

One of the big lies is that we were wiped out. If there are no people, you can take the land. The truth is that we intermarried or escaped into the mountains and forests. We are still here. We’ve always been here.

Then colonizers forced Indigenous peoples to try to be culturally European. That’s another mess. But you can still see our Indigenous heritage in Latin music and dance, art, beauty queens, people’s names, place names, moon names, matriarchal family and leadership structures, and even in the ways that Latins socialize. Part of the structure of the U.S. Congress was based on the experience of the Indigenous First Nations.

For example, in Puerto Rico, a bohio (Taíno thatch building) becomes a chinchorro (roadside restaurant bar) which in New York City becomes a street fair kiosk or bodega corner store. We still gather to buy and sell, tell stories, sing and dance. Just now we dance salsa or merengue. The Taíno tribe didn’t survive, but carries on in the way people live their lives.


In the beginning we are all Indigenous somewhere.
In the end, we are all children of the earth, sun, moon and stars.
It’s time to remember who we are.

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