Latuvi to Amitlan

This is Latuvi in the morning.  Latuvi means rolled leaf in Zapotec.  This is an area where the Zapotecs fled to from the more accessible towns of Guelatao and Amatlan during the Spanish Conquest.  Latuvi means rolled leaf.  Legend has it that the first residents escaped the Spanish wrapped in a leaf to keep warm.  

In this video my guide teaches me some Zapotec.  It was an oral language but has now been written.  He teaches me "Good bye," Thank you," and "What is your name?"  He finishes the lesson with numbers 1-4.  I really appreciate his patience.  

In this video my guide explains that corn, squash and beans are all planted together in a sustainable manner that had been used for hundreds of years before the birth of Benito Juarez.  I translate calabasa as 'pumpkin,' where squash may be a better translation.





In this video my guide explains the practice of usos y costumbres, a defining component of the Zapotec culture. Usos y costumbres is a traditional practice where every three years a Zapotec man will work for the community without pay for a year. They serve their community as police officers, park rangers, educators and health workers among other things. This system has been in place for hundreds of years and during the era of Benito Juarez.