OUR PURPOSE
to preserve Oaxaca’s Indigenous food and beverage cultures through narrative change, education, and collaboration with compatible organizations across borders.
VALUES
HOW AND WHY WE SHOW UP
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Solidarity means that we are a part of the larger racial and gender justice, economic equity, environmental and food sustainability movements. Working towards Indigenous cultural preservation means being in community with movements that are also working towards free and liberated worlds.
Related Values: equity, justice, community, interconnection, belonging, interdependence.
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Reciprocity is a deeply embedded value in communities across Oaxaca. Like our Indigenous ancestors, we seek to cultivate relationships with the land, peoples, and entities who are continuing the practice of service, generosity, and fair exchange.
Related Values: tequio, guelaguetza, gozona, trueque, healthy relations, care.
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Possibility asks us to remember, reflect, dream, and co-create. We acknowledge that the possibility of Indigenous cultural prosperity requires that we embrace change. We are here today because of our radical ancestors. We honor their efforts and support the younger generations who are agents of change.
Related Values: resilience, hope, optimism, achievability, creativity, innovation.
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Celebration is an acknowledgement of gratitude, connection, and joy. We enjoy and revel in these moments in spite of systemic oppressions and personal struggles. Celebrations feed our hunger for possibilities.
Related Values:joy, happiness, celebration, freedom, pleasure.
CONTRIBUTE
TO OUR growth
Your contributions support the visibility of Oaxaca’s Indigenous food and beverage cultures and help grow our organization's impact and sustainability.
your contribution supports:
1. Growing a Zapotec-mother led organization that's preserving Oaxaca’s Indigenous foodways and culture while addressing racial, gender, economic, environmental & education equity.
2. Cultural Preservation: Challenging Indigenous erasure by amplifying the narratives and stories of Indigenous and native Oaxacan people.
3. Cultural Education: Scholarships for native and Indigenous Oaxacan people to participate in the cultural education programs. Stipends for instructors and guest speakers.
Money is a powerful tool. The contribution from The Mellon Foundation is helping build the foundation for this work. And we’ll need more money to materialize the vision of ensuring Oaxaca’s Indigenous cultural contributions are recognized, attributed, and regarded in the globalized world. Monetary contribution information is here.
The growing popularity of Oaxaca is leading to Indigenous erasure and cultural appropriation, which perpetuate economic inequities, harm the socio-cultural fabric of communities, and damage the biodiversity of Oaxaca.
Mi Oaxaca addresses these problems through an intersectional approach.