Oasis Elementary School Graduation

When Oasis became a government-sponsored rarámuri settlement in 1974, one of the government's first projects was to build an elementary school exclusively for rarámuri children within the walls of the settlement. Prior to its inception, rarámuri children attempted to enter the neighborhood elementary school, but discrimination by mestizo teachers and children discouraged rarámuri children and their parents from attending. Building the exclusive school inside the settlement was the government's solution to providing the rarámuri children with education in a safe environment. Moreover, the school is supposed to reinforce rarámuri identity by providing half the education in their native language. Textbooks are in both rarámuri and Spanish, and most of the teachers have rarámuri roots. I have mixed feelings about this system. On the one hand, it's great that the rarámuri are encouraged to learn their language in a formal setting (although most of the schoolday tends to be in Spanish, since all of the teachers are actually only conversant in rarámuri, despite their roots). On the other hand, building separate schools does not solve the original problem of discrimination. So while the Oasis school may reinforce cultural identity, it does little to help rarámuri and mestizo children build relationships.

Despite my misgivings about this system, there is no doubt that the school inside Oasis has a very important impact on the social structure of the community. Several times this year I had the chance to observe the ways in which the Oasis community gathers together for events sponsored by the school. The biggest event, which most Oasis rarámuri regard as equally important to Christmas and Holy Week festivities, is the graduation ceremony which takes place at the end of June each year, when all Mexican elementary and middle schools let out for the summer. When I asked about important events to attend in Oasis back in October, when I was first starting my field work, all the rarámuri I spoke to mentioned the graduation along with all the other festivities.

I marked the graduation in my calendar months ahead and had plans to attend as a guest, but two weeks before the graduation Esperanza asked me to be Jiovana's "madrina," or godmother, for her kindergarten graduation. In Mexico, it is customary for students who are graduating from important grades--such as kindergarten, middle school, and high school--to have a sponsor, which they call a "madrina" or "padrino." The sponsor's responsibilities are to attend the graduation and walk their student up to the podium to receive the diploma. It is also customary to give the student a gift and perhaps some encouragement or advice for the next step in their education. When Esperanza asked me to be Jiovana's sponsor, I was sitting on her front step sewing a skirt that I planned to give Jiovana. She approached me and said, "do you want to be Jiovana's sponsor for her kindergarten graduation? I asked all my sisters, but none of them had enough money." I asked her what she meant about the money, and she explained that the school was asking each sponsor to contribute 100 pesos to help pay for the event. I was thrilled to be asked and immediately agreed to do it.

I arrived the day of the graduation with a gift and a pair of sandals in my bag, since Esperanza had told me she would lend me one of her dresses to wear for the ceremony. For the first time ever, she invited me into the back room of her house, the bedroom, to change (previously I had only been in the kitchen). She gave me three dresses to choose from: a black and white one, a brown one with small colored flowers, and an orange one, which is the one I ended up choosing. She also lent me a traditional belt, and I wore my own sandals. It was very fun wearing a traditional rarámuri dress and the women got a kick out of seeing me in it--they laughed at me, complimented me, and talked to me in rarámuri.

The ceremony itself was very nice, with each class performing a different dance for their parents and government officials that showed up to support the settlement. The kindergarten and 6th grade, being the ones who were ending an entire phase of schooling, danced waltzes. I walked Jiovana up to the podium to receive her kindergarten diploma, then handed her her gift: a Disney princess school kit, two yellow bows for her hair, a headband, and a box of crayons. It was a great moment, I felt like part of the community.

After the ceremony, which took place on the basketball court, the school sponsors a dance. For days, there was a rumor that the party would not take place because of the recent murder, but the teachers got a police officer to agree to be present throughout the entire event and they were able to hold the traditional party until 10 PM. The party is what really draws most people to the event, but unlike the Christmas and Holy Week parties, during which most mothers will put their children to bed, the children were allowed to stay up late to dance, play, and eat alongside the adults.

Participating in the graduation was a fantastic experience, and I hope to see Jiovana continue to graduate for many years to come. A few days later, her sister graduated from a mixed middle school, an impressive accomplishment. I definitely have plans to keep in touch with Esperanza and her family when I leave Chihuahua, which will happen very soon.

The 1st Grade class posing for a picture on the basketball court inside Oasis with their teacher.

Me and several rarámuri girls who were graduating that day. I was asked to be the "madrina," godmother, to Jiovana, the little girl in the red dress. Her mother said all participants would be wearing rarámuri dresses, so she lent me the beautiful orange dress I am wearing.

Posing with several girls graduating from 3rd grade. Julissa is the one in the orange dress with white headband.

Jiovana and I inside her house, and the first time I was invited into the back room. Previously I had only been invited into the first room, which is the kitchen, to eat. Esperanza photographed us.

The Kindergarten Class waiting to receive their diplomas.

Before the ceremony began, every class performed a dance. These are the 3rd grade girls, who performed traditional matachin dances (ritual dances performed during December) along with the boys in their class.

The 3rd grade male matachin dancers.

Rarámuri girls graduating from 6th grade, the final year of "primaria," or elementary school. Next they will be integrated with mestizo children in the neighborhood "secundaria," or middle school. These were my favorite dresses of the night; the design is very elaborate with the repeating triangle patterns. Every year, the girls in each class get to decide what their "uniform" will be for that year; that is, they decide what their class dress will look like, and then their mothers sew them each the same dress.