LOCAL EVENTS
Today, there are over 3,500 Native American remains unearthed from Texas soil, stored in cardboard boxes and housed in institutions throughout Texas. Despite a federal law passed in 1990 that requires institutions to begin repatriating all remains, few museums and universities have complied, continuing to hold their collections intact. This is the historical setting for “Papakō: The Journey”, a new play for young audiences that chronicles the journey of two young cousins who fight for the right to rebury their ancestors. Written by the playwrights of the award-winning play “Yana Wana’s Legend of the Bluebonnet”, “Papakō: The Journey” will be presented at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7, 8, and 9, and at 3 p.m. on Nov. 10th at the Price Center located at 222 W. San Antonio Street in San Marcos. The event is a collaboration with the Price Center and Austin’s Teatro Vivo and is funded by the city of San Marcos Arts Commission.
Maria Rocha and Roxanne Schroeder-Arce are joined as playwrights by Genevieve Schroeder- Arce, representing three generations of writers committed to authentic representation of those original bands of Coahuiltecan people who have inhabited Texas and northern Mexico for over 13,000 years.
“Papakō means ‘the journey’ in the ancient Coahuiltecan language of the original people of Texas,” playwright Maria Rocha said. “It’s the story of two cousins who journey across Texas to answer the call of their ancestors.”
Prompted by a mysterious message from beyond the grave, Juan and Joseph set out on a harrowing trip that eventually leads them to the White Shaman mural near Comstock, Texas. In those dark, cliff-recesses overhanging the converging Pecos and Rio Grande rivers, the cousins cross over into the mystical world of their ancestors. The ancient spirits convey the urgent message – “return our bodies to Mother Earth.”
“We take our audience on an inspirational journey that leads our two heroes into a colliding confrontation against a powerful institution,” says Roxanne Schroeder-Arce. “And as typical of such entities, this museum is determined to maintain their collection and never release the ancestors for reburial.”
The story is drawn from the decades of repatriation work conducted by the Miakan-Garza Band, a state legislature recognized tribe of Texas and its nonprofit Indigenous Cultures
