Episodio 73: Preserving Indigenous Traditions (Preservando tradiciones indígenas)

Duolingo English for Spanish Speakers Podcast

En 2004, Chad Solomon estaba en su casa de Toronto, Canadá.

Estaba frustrado.

Quería triunfar como dibujante de cómics, o comics, pero estaba batallando para que su trabajo se publicara.

I realized I needed to try something new! It seemed like the big companies that published comic books were not interested in new artists.

So, I needed to find another way to show my work to the world.

I wanted to make something special for people who are not usually represented in books.

Then I had the idea to create a comic for Indigenous people about my culture.

Chad es Anishinaabe, una de las poblaciones indígenas más grandes de Canadá.

Desde que era niño, a Chad le encantaban los cómics.

Pero rara vez vio alguno que mostrara personajes indígenas, o indigenous.

I knew there were others who wanted to see Indigenous culture and traditions in comic books.

There was only one problem: at that time, companies weren’t publishing this type of comic.

But I was ready to change that!

Welcome, les damos la bienvenida a “Relatos en inglés”, un podcast de Duolingo.

Soy Diana Gameros.

En cada episodio podrás practicar inglés a tu propio ritmo, escuchando historias reales y fascinantes, contadas por las personas que las vivieron.

En este episodio conoceremos a dos artistas indígenas, uno de Canadá y otro de los Estados Unidos, que están creando nuevas formas de preservar y celebrar su cultura.

Chad Solomon creció en la costa este de Canadá, en un pueblo remoto del norte de Nueva Escocia.

Y, desde muy pequeño, una de sus actividades favoritas era sentarse frente a un cómic durante horas y perderse en el universo fantástico de la historia.

I’ve always loved comics.

I read them when I was a kid, starting with Disney cartoons like Donald Duck.

They were always really special to me.

I loved how artists could create whole new worlds with drawings and stories, and I’ve never stopped loving comics.

Otra cosa que a Chad le encantaba eran los viajes familiares al hogar de sus abuelos.

Varias veces al año, él y su familia viajaban a la provincia de Ontario.

Allí visitaban a la familia de su padre, que vivía en uno de los tradicionales territorios del pueblo Anishinaabe.

The Anishinaabe people live in both Canada and the north part of the United States, near the Great Lakes.

When I was a kid, I traveled to my family’s traditional area often, so I’ve always had a connection to my culture.

When I visited, I always got up early with my grandmother to learn our Indigenous language.

And I listened to stories from my grandfather, who was a traditional healer and Indigenous activist.

Anishinaabe people are experts on traditional medicine and telling stories.

El abuelo de Chad era un curandero tradicional, o traditional healer, y relataba historias que se habían transmitido de generación en generación.

I loved learning our traditions and stories from my grandfather.

For example, he told me about the lessons of the Seven Grandfathers.

These are seven ideas that are very important to my people and all peoples.

They include truth, love, and respect.

These make us better people, and they also make our communities stronger.

Chad se dio cuenta de que a través del lenguaje y la narración de cuentos, sus abuelos mantuvieron viva su cultura, que fue casi erradicada por la colonización europea y las instituciones posteriores.

Pero no fue hasta que Chad cumplió veinte años cuando se dio cuenta de que podía combinar sus dos pasiones.

I realized I could create something that involved my two favorite things: comics and Indigenous culture.

And I wanted to tell stories that I learned as a kid because they were important to me.

It was my way of telling my family’s story.

Chad comenzó a anotar algunas ideas.

Quería incluir sus tradiciones, pero también contar una historia que fuera contemporánea.

Y encontró más inspiración en un lugar inesperado: la famosa serie de cómics franceses, Asterix and Obelix.

Asterix and Obelix is a comic about adventure and it had everything I wanted for my own story: family, community, and brave characters.

There was a whole world inside the comic — and it was also really funny! In Indigenous culture, we use humor to tell funny stories, but we also use it to tell sad stories.

Humor is the most important part of our community.

Chad comenzó a utilizar el humor para abordar todo tipo de temas, desde la colonización hasta las enseñanzas tradicionales.

Así nació su serie de historietas llamada Rabbit and Bear Paws, o Conejo y Patas de Oso.

Rabbit and Bear Paws is set in the 1750s in the Great Lakes area, which is one of the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe people.

The books are about the adventures of two Indigenous brothers who are always in trouble.

One character is called Bear Paws, and even though he’s the younger brother, he’s a big guy.

Rabbit is the older brother, even though he is a short guy.

Rabbit loves having fun, but he also understands and respects all of the traditions of the community.

En sus cómics, Chad también quería incluir la narración de las historias que le contaba su abuelo y que tanto lo habían marcado, como las enseñanzas de los siete abuelos.

The lessons of the Seven Grandfathers are a big part of the Rabbit and Bear Paws comics series.

Each book includes one of these basic ideas, like truth or respect.

The Anishinaabe people believe that we learn these ideas in the first seven years of our life, but as we grow, we understand these ideas better.

And that’s what happens with the characters Rabbit and Bear Paws in the comic books.

They learn the lessons, and then the readers see how they use them in their lives.

A través de su personaje Rabbit, Chad le dio vida a estas enseñanzas.

Y después de tres años de dibujar bosquejos, Chad había creado un universo completo, ¡igual que los cómics que amaba!

But it was not easy to publish my comic.

First, I sold comics to local newspapers, and that helped me find an audience.

Then, I published a whole book of Rabbit and Bear Paws comics with my own company.

After that, a big educational publishing company decided to publish book one.

With that money, I was able to publish a lot more comics!

Chad sabía que publicar un cómic indígena era innovador.

Pero, todavía sentía que no había alcanzado su verdadero sueño.

Hasta que, en 2005, sucedió.

I started feeling like my work was really important when my comics were printed in The Anishinaabek News.

That’s my Indigenous nation’s newspaper.

I remember that I went to get a copy at an Indigenous community center in Toronto, and I sat on the steps of the center for two hours, just looking at the comic.

That was when I realized that I achieved my dream.

Para Chad, esta era la validación por la que se había esforzado durante más de una década.

Ahora su sueño era algo que podía sostener con sus propias manos.

For me, that was everything.

It was like winning the World Cup.

And this win wasn’t just for me.

It was for my whole community and my family, who helped me learn the stories and traditions of my people.

It was also for my audience and everyone who worked on the comic with me.

All of these people helped me achieve my dream.

Al igual que Chad, nuestro próximo protagonista ideó nuevas formas de preservar su cultura indígena.

Houston Cypress quiere generar conciencia sobre sus tierras ancestrales, los Everglades.

Es una de las maravillas naturales del mundo, con inmensos humedales, o wetlands, y con animales salvajes, como caimanes, o alligators.

Y al crecer en el sur de Florida, Houston exploró los Everglades como si fueran el patio de su casa.

The Everglades is a large natural area with wetlands.

It has very tall grass, small islands and forests.

Many animals live there, including alligators, turtles, fish, and birds.

When I was ten years old, I sometimes took boat rides through the Everglades with my grandfather before school.

Those trips were like magic, like a dream.

Sometimes it was foggy and hard to see, and it was so relaxing that I fell asleep.

Then, when I woke up, I was in a totally new place.

And I remember looking around and seeing that tall grass and the shiny water of the river.

Los Everglades cubren más de un millón de hectáreas, incluida una parte que se considera parque nacional de los Estados Unidos.

Cuando era niño, Houston escuchaba que otras personas llamaban al área “pantano” porque estaba lleno de mosquitos y serpientes.

Pero para Houston era su hogar.

I’m from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

My people lived in North America for a very long time before Christopher Columbus arrived, and the Everglades is our home.

We are one of the Native American tribes recognized by the U.S.

government.

I grew up on our reservation near the Everglades, just a few miles from the city of Miami, and Miccosukee was my first language.

Our tribe is known for our art.

Una reserva, o reservation, es un terreno aislado que se destina a una tribu de nativos americanos, generalmente a través de un tratado con el gobierno de los Estados Unidos.

No había muchas viviendas en la reserva de la tribu, o tribe, llamada Miccosukee cuando Houston era adolescente, así que vivía con sus primos, abuelos, tías, tíos y su madre.

A menudo iba con su abuelo al bosque de cipreses dentro de los Everglades.

The forest was also a place where my grandparents used plants to make medicine.

And on other occasions, my family went to the forest to have ceremonies, which involved singing, dancing, and other traditions.

In the past, the forest was especially important to the Miccosukee people because it gave us wood for our homes, as well as meat and fish.

It was a very important part of our lives, and it still is.

A medida que Houston iba creciendo, se dio cuenta de que los Everglades estaban amenazados por el desarrollo inmobiliario y la contaminación.

También debido al cambio climático, o climate change, el agua estaba modificándose, lo que ponía en peligro la existencia de los Everglades.

Solían cubrir un tercio de toda la península de Florida, pero hoy en día se perdió la mitad del ecosistema.

It was clear that the Everglades were changing, and information from the government showed that it was getting smaller.

But people didn’t talk about how to fix that problem.

Sometimes I felt annoyed and angry.

I wondered if people cared about the Everglades, which is still home for me and a lot of my family.

So, I knew it was time to do something to protect nature and Indigenous communities.

Al principio, Houston no sabía qué hacer.

Mucha gente había escuchado de los Everglades.

Y los turistas daban paseos por los Everglades en aerolancha, un tipo de bote que tiene un ventilador grande que funciona como motor.

Pero él sentía que eso no era suficiente para generar conciencia.

In 2011, I had a conversation with my friend Jean.

We were both working for Miccosukee Television and studying art in Miami.

We talked about how we could get people to respect the land.

I was worried that people didn’t know enough about the Everglades and that it needed help.

We thought maybe they needed to see it and experience it in person.

So we decided to bring people there.

We tried to make it fun, and the goal was to get people to care about the Everglades.

Así es como Houston inició la organización sin fines de lucro llamada “Love the Everglades” para crear conciencia y preservar la tierra.

Quería usar paseos en bote, como los que hacía con su abuelo, para conectar a la gente con esta tierra tan especial.

En diciembre de 2012, llevó a algunos amigos y familiares a la primera excursión.

A few friends came with me on this trip, including my friend Jean.

At that time, we didn’t have a plan for what we were going to do or talk about.

But we went in the boat and visited different parts of the Everglades.

During the trip, people asked questions and I discussed ways that they could help protect the Everglades.

It was a very interesting conversation.

Everyone enjoyed the trip and learned new things.

Después, Houston se dio cuenta de que estos viajes en bote podrían generar más conciencia sobre los Everglades y llegar a un público más amplio.

Comenzó a invitar a artistas, periodistas, otros activistas indígenas y líderes espirituales.

On a typical boat trip, I take people to one of the islands in the Everglades with trees.

These islands are very important to the Miccosukee.

We usually stop there for a moment to think or pray.

I want to give people an opportunity to connect to the land.

I also take time to explain to people how it’s in danger.

There are ways that everyone can help.

They don’t need special training or skills.

They just need to respect the land.

A medida que Houston ofrecía más paseos en bote, comenzó a incorporar su arte y su narración durante la excursión.

Art and stories have been my passion for a long time.

I love to meet new people from all over the world and tell stories.

This prepared me for the boat trips.

Often, after each ride we stop at an island and I read poems, prayers, and petitions.

I want people to feel inspired and even create their own art in honor of the Everglades.

After each boat ride I hope that people can find a connection to this land.

I also hope they learn about the Everglades and share how important it is with their own community.

A pesar de la majestuosidad natural, Houston sabe que muchas personas aún no entienden cuán importantes son los Everglades para su comunidad.

Más que nada, quiere recordarle a la gente que los Everglades están listos para recibir a cualquiera que esté dispuesto a aventurarse allí.

People usually think it’s hard to get to the Everglades or that it’s a scary place that isn’t important.

But it has always been part of the Miccosukee community.

I just want to help more people see what a beautiful and valuable place it is — and that it is worth celebrating and saving.

Houston Cypress es artista, poeta, ecologista, productor de eventos y pastor espiritual en el sur de la Florida.

Nuestro primer narrador, Chad Solomon, actualmente vive en Shanty Bay, Ontario.

Su último número de la serie Rabbit and Bear Paws está programado para salir en el otoño de 2023.

Sueña con traducir Rabbit and Bear Paws al español.

El primer acto de este episodio fue producido por Juan Pablo de Dovitiis, productor y periodista radicado en Toronto.

El segundo acto fue producido por Alexandra Martinez, una periodista radicada en Miami, Florida.