The Sunflower Theatre, in conjunction with The Tandana Foundation, will host a cultural immersion event on Tuesday, Sept. 16, on the Indigenous, Ecuadorian Kichwa Otavala culture. The Tandana Foundation, which partners with communities in Ecuador and Mali, is organizing the event. The event will begin at 7 p.m.
The title of the program is “The Eagle and the Condor Flying Together” and will highlight stories, traditions, culture and perspectives from five university students from Ecuador as they highlight their Andes and Kichwa Otavalo cultures, and samplings of Ecuadorian dishes, embroidered clothing and an introduction to Kichwa Otavalo traditional dance will also be part of the event.
“This event will be a powerful evening of cultural immersion and connection where attendees will not only be able to hear from these inspiring students, but experience Ecuador through the senses – tasting food, admiring embroidered clothing, enjoying dance and more,” said Anna Taft, Tandana’s founding director and a resident of Mancos. “We hope everyone will join us for this unique opportunity to learn about an Indigenous culture firsthand, engaging with students who are overcoming barriers to achieve their dreams and contribute to their communities in Ecuador.”
The foundation noted that the Kichwa Otavalo are one of the Indigenous groups in Ecuador that are “most successful at maintaining their cultural identity.”
The program’s name comes from The Eagle and The Condor prophecy, which the foundation said is shared by many Indigenous people across the Americas. Tandana collaborates with these communities located around the Quichnche parish on initiatives like education, health care and income generation.
“We are incredibly fortunate to host The Tandana Foundation and their event, ‘The Eagle and the Condor Flying Together,’” said Sarah Syverson, director of Sunflower Theatre. “This exceptional and unique immersive experience is what the Sunflower Theatre is meant for: bridging communities, unifying and educating through joy and celebration of the culturally rich, diverse world that we all inhabit. You couldn't ask for a better way to spend an evening in Montezuma County.”
The students will be visiting the U.S. for two weeks as part of Tandana’s scholarship program. These students, and others who are supported by the scholarship program, are pursuing higher education in fields such as medicine, business administration and law while working in service projects in their community.
“In exchange for Tandana's financial support, university scholarship recipients take part in service projects to share their new skills and knowledge and benefit their communities,” the foundation said.
While in the U.S., the students will be engage in intercultural exchange and take part in community service projects with the Hopi Nation and other communities in Montezuma and La Plata counties.
Taft shared that the decision to bring the students to Montezuma County came about since she is from Mancos.
“I live in Mancos, and since I am organizing and hosting the group, I decided to do it in my home county,” Taft told The Journal. “We also wanted to work with Deer Hill Foundation, based in Mancos, on the intercultural program with the Hopi community because of their long-standing relationships with Hopi hosts and my past experience with Deer Hill.”
Taft added that she worked at Deer Hill in the past and had many “wonderful experiences” with the Hopi community during her tenure.
“I'm excited to travel abroad because it can be a very enriching and exciting experience,” said Fredy Panama, agronomy student at the Technical University of Cotopaxi. “It will be an opportunity to learn about new cultures, have unique experiences and grow as a person.”
Panama is from the Padre Chupa community in Ecuador.
This is the first time that Tandana has brought Ecuadorian scholarship recipient students to the U.S., though the foundation regularly organizes volunteer trips for Americans to Ecuador for intercultural learning and other community-driven projects.
Tickets are $20. For more information about The Tandana Foundation, visit www.tandanafoundation.org.
