La Raza Park Celebrates the Arrival of Summer

SUNNYSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK RENAMED

El Comercio de Colorado Newsroom

Haga click aquí para leer la versión en español

 

The Aztec dance group Tlaloc celebrated the arrival of the summer solstice in Denver for the 41^st time this year. The commemoration, which lasted 3 days, celebrates pre-Hispanic indigenous traditions of the nati. On Friday, June 18^th, the temazcal, or steam bath, took place, an activity filled with therapeutic and health benefits.

 

The members of the Tlaloc group and their associates met again on Saturday night, June 19^th, for the second day of the ritual to celebrate the arrival of summer. That night they held a vigil, as they recharged for the following day. On Sunday, June 20^th, all the Tlaloc dancers arrived dressed in their colorful costumes and wearing feathers.

DEDICATION | The commemorative plaque designating Sunnyside Park as “La Raza” was unveiled.

But the celebration on Sunday the 20^th represented more than a prayer for rain and protection of crops. On this day, the park was formally renamed “La Raza,” a name which held significance for the celebrants.

THE SCULPTURE AND ITS AUTHOR | The new sculpture that adorns the part is a creation of the plastic artist and sculptor, Emmanuel Martínez.

An Aztec Dancer Speaks

The phrase “La Raza Park” contains only three words, however, it has great meaning for the entire Chicano-Mexican community. On the one hand, changing the name represents recognition of the Indigenous peoples of Colorado. On the other hand, it recognizes civil rights leaders,” said Rogelio Rodríguez, a Tlaloc dancer.

Rodríguez says he came to Colorado from his native New Mexico 20 years ago. “I joined the group as soon as I moved here. Participating in Tlaloc has allowed me to discover my roots and to know and love the traditions of my ancestors,” says this real estate business entrepreneur and prominent community activist. Rodríguez highlighted that the Xupantla ceremony has taken place in what is now “La Raza Park” for the last 20 years.

IN FRONT OF THE CEREMONY | Carlos Castañeda, Director of Grupo Tlaloc, Aztec dance.

Entitled to the Park

The name change of the park was only a formality because for 50 years its residents were already attributing that name to it. This park is connected to important elements of the Chicano movement of the late sixties and seventies. “Many Chicano-Mexicans were discriminated against by being forbidden to use the pool at the site. Despite this, the community felt the park was theirs,” added Rodríguez.

Attempts to change the name of Sunnyside Park were numerous over several decades. These efforts came to fruition on December 21^st, 2020, when the Denver municipal chamber made the decision. The park has been embellished with a plaque of the new name. A new allegorical sculpture made by Emmanuel Martínez was also unveiled.

From Náhuatl

The word Xupantla, or Xopantla, comes from Náhuatl, the ancestral language of the indigenous groups of the current territory of Mexico. The word means “summer” and connotes the ceremonies that take place upon the arrival of the summer solstice. The Xupantla ceremony seeks to preserve and nurture the ancestral knowledge of the original peoples of Mexico.

Pictures of an Artist

Shannon Garcia, a prominent Denver photographer, is the author of all the photographs in this story. Garcia has a 40-year career in photography and has made important contributions to preserving the graphic memory of contemporary Colorado history. It is an honor for El Comercio de Colorado to publish Garcia’s work.

 

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