Abya Yala

Verse 1:

Months of planning

Building community, energy, creativity

The wall was blessed, spray paint cans were assembled

Art and youth and community and love

        began to spray beautiful images onto vertical canvas,

             unto heart and spirit

             into the urban landscape

Pyramids meeting Pueblos

A South American boy 

        stands proud alongside

A Pueblo girl

They radiate love and positivity to children ages 1-100 who come to stare

 

Art heals

Culture heals

Love heals

 

Verse 2:

Abya Yala

A term used by the Guna people, an Indigenous nation in current-day Panama/Colombia

Similar to the term “Turtle Island” it invokes connectedness.

Abya Yala is a statement that walls and borders falsely divide people, a reminder that we are all profoundly connected.

Indigenous Freeways” was the sub-title for the project, a reminder of the trade routes and migration patterns that were never constricted by such barriers.

As stated beautifully by of one of the mural’s artists, “We continue to burn walls and build bridges.”

Verse 3:

A big shout out to NSRGNTS who helped create the vision and who led the artistic side of this project. Leah and Votan, I am proud to call you my health colleagues. SABA, you are my brother for life and Abya Yala needed your energy to make it happen. HomegrowNM Trading Post, thank you for the wall to paint on. CABQ and CARES Act, thanks for supporting the project with some funds. Finally, a big thank you to the families and leaders of the Native Health Initiative for always seeing the power in community-led healing.

And an invitation for those who have not spent time with the mural to see it yourself – Morningside and Central Ave SE, south side of the road.

Verse 4:

A beautiful video documentary produced by Shane Montoya on the mural art project and the public unveiling of the mural.