Dragon Letters, No. 9Capricorn Moon Edition

September 15, 2021

Hola my dear ,

In this Dragon Letter we’re exploring decolonizing of Latin America on the 200th Anniversary of Independence from Spain in Central America. 

(Each Time I share the most popular of the links. Last Time the Lemon Rebellion Summit happening next week was the most popular resource I shared. Use code “Ixchel5” and get $5 off registration. (You can also attend for free). If you missed the details, you’ll find those and many other great resources if you search your inbox and put me in your safe list. Star✨ me, add to Primary Inbox etc.)

Walk in beauty. Live your magic. Go wild.

xo Ixchel

(keep scrolling or you miss the good stuff….)

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200 Years of Independence

September 15th marks 200 years of independence in Central America. This kicks off Hispanic Heritage month in the US. I find it ironic that the US still calls it “Hispanic” when the holiday is an Indigenous celebration for the throwing off of violent colonization and genocide of millions of Indigenous by Spain.

Yesterday was the Celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto in Nicaragua. It’s a national holiday that commemorates the Indigenous Archers of Matagalpa decisive September 14, 1856 victory over the “filibusters” of William Walker, who had taken Nicaragua by military force in April 1856. Then President Pierce legitimized Walker’s presidency despite the US law that forbid US citizens from waging private wars on foreign countries.

The 60 Indigenous archers that joined the fight in Managua hailed from Matagalpa (where I am currently staying), 80 km by foot travel (many days walking). They heeded the call to defend against Walker’s mission to carry out the Knights of the Golden Circle plan to enslave not just the people of Nicaragua, but to create an entire Caribbean empire that would expand slavery throughout Latin America.

Walker was eventually overthrown and killed in Honduras. These 60 Indigenous archers of Matagalpa (indios flecheros de Matagalpa) may have knocked the first domino that led to the Civil War and the end of a potential nightmare scenario for Central America. It’s a pretty big deal here in Nicaragua.

Why do we still call it Hispanic Heritage?

According to Pew Research, “National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins each year on Sept. 15, celebrates U.S. Latinos, their culture and their history. Started in 1968 by Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week, it was expanded to a month in 1988. The celebration begins in the middle rather than the start of September because it coincides with national independence days in several Latin American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate theirs on Sept. 15, followed by Mexico on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18 and Belize on Sept. 21.”

The US Census data shows about 62 million “Hispanics” living in the US as of 2020, nearly 1 in 5 people. And in California and Texas are now 39% of the population. It’s 26% in Florida.

So, with such huge increases in Latine populations, why are Texas and Florida still red states? The answer may be found in the shades of brown and identity.

The importance of ethnicity on Census data is important because it helps determine Congressional Districts, and funding of election materials. The more ethnically diverse an area, the more ballot booklets get to be printed in first languages of the voters. This means more access of BBIBOC to the ballot box. And that leads to political influence.

Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America are very ethnically diverse areas. But when their immigrants get categorized under one ethnicity, “Hispanic” which denotes and centers Spanish/Portuguese colonization, they have more leverage for voting rights.

However, within the larger umbrella of Hispanic are many people that would prefer to pass as white and vote more conservative (Hello Marco Rubio).

For Chicane and Mestize (mixed Indigenous) that face greater economic and health barriers and difficulty immigrating to the US, this is a problem (like the Texas anti-choice law). 

My neighbor, a highly skilled blacksmith, recently tried to immigrate to the US. He waited several days at the US/Mexico border. Eventually he gave up and came back. Many thousands throughout Central and South America are fleeing climate chaos and abusive governments that are the residual consequences of US imperialism and “filibustering”. 

There were a lot of “Hispanics” fighting with William Walker for control and enslavement of Central America. Colorism, imperialist “free-trade” and corruption in Latin America are alive and well.

The Independence was about fighting off colonizers and a greater plan of enslavement of Indigenous and Mestize people. How we name and categorize matters. Two hundred years since independence and five hundred years since colonizers invaded this region, why are we still centering the colonizers in Latin American Identity?

Pew Research data is showing decolonization has started to shift towards more Mestize identifying and recognizing their mixed ethnic heritage, decentering their colonizers.

Book Recommendation

Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent

To explore the political economics behind the colonization of Latin America, read the book that former President Hugo Chávez gave to President Barak Obama.

“Rather than chronology, geography, or political successions, Eduardo Galeano has organized the various facets of Latin American history according to the patterns of five centuries of exploitation. Thus he is concerned with gold and silver, cacao and cotton, rubber and coffee, fruit, hides and wool, petroleum, iron, nickel, manganese, copper, aluminum ore, nitrates, and tin. These are the veins which he traces through the body of the entire continent, up to the Rio Grande and throughout the Caribbean, and all the way to their open ends where they empty into the coffers of wealth in the United States and Europe.”

Five Films Honoring Indigenous Women

I debated with myself whether to share this link. It’s on Vice, but it’s their Spanish channel. The article may be automatically translated if you use Google Chrome. If you want to expand your horizons, using plugin in your browser to translate will make exploring the wider world much easier.

Some of the films will be easier to view than others. For Soy Aimé, you may need a VPN set to Argentina to create a membership to watch. And it’s in Spanish with no English subtitles. I’m watching the series to improve my Spanish listening skills.

The Netflix film I was really excited to see was Lorena, Light-Footed Woman because I have watched several YouTubes on her and her Rarámuri community of runners in the highlands of Mexico. It’s available on Netflix in many formats and languages.

From Vice: “Indigenous women are bearers of ancestral wisdom and the most sacred traditions of their communities. The International Day of Indigenous Women is commemorated on September 5 to recognize the importance of their figure in Latin American cultural diversity. The new narratives of independent cinema managed to make indigenous identity visible from a gender and anti-racist perspective.”

Remember who you are. Remember where you come from. Remember why you’re here.

In the Spotlight

Nahanee Creative is launching five new on-demand mini-courses. The platform will open on September 30 for anyone who wants to spend this day learning about: Territorial Acknowledgements, Cultural Protocols, Empathy & Safety, Etiquette for Allies, Introducing Decolonizing Practices, Restorying Colonialism, and/or Decolonizing Identity 101.

Sign up for one or all six, participate on your own or with a group, each workshop can be completed in an hour or less. Once you sign up, you’ll have three days to complete it. Each workshop features short videos, reflection worksheets, and resources to support your continued unlearning and relearning. $40 per person.

We are offering you a 20% discount when you use the promo code Decolonizefirst. Remember to share this with friends and family so they can also enjoy our courses at a discounted rate!

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Land Lineage

I was raised and bore children on the traditional, unceded, and stolen lands of the Coast and Central Valley Miwok (colonized as Petaluma, CA) and Nisenan (colonized as Sacramento and Fair Oaks, CA), past, present, and future. I also write, work, and live in the highland forest of the traditional, unceded and stolen lands of the Totonac, Nahua, and Mexicah, past, present, and future, in what is known as Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico.

P.P.S. I do not live or consent to the colonial impositions regarding the construct of Time. I also practice honoring rhythms of work, play, and rest so that I can serve you with embodied presence and with loving care. This means I may take several days to respond to your requests and questions. (h/t Eva Glamaris)

P.P.S. A mention is not necessarily an endorsement of someone. It’s an acknowledgment, a citation, of the origin of information in my process of understanding. (h/t Kelly Diels)

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Copyright © 2026, Cheyenne, WY, and Veracruz, Mexico, All rights reserved. Sharing your lineage of knowledge is decolonial. When iterating, please cite me. Not citing is epistemicide.